Asian Games: New Sporting Discipline Expected to Bring Gold Medal
21 February 2018 11:34 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Paragliding, bridge, and Pencak Silat will be contested for the first time at the 2018 Asian Games that will be held in Jakarta and Palembang. National Sports Committee (KONI) claimed seven sporting discipline may bring gold including those three new sporting discipline, badminton, jet ski, rowing, and taekwondo.
For the event ahead, paragliding is set to follow three series of the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup (PWC) as a warming-up for the Asian Games 2018. "It (the competition) is to add their experience and uplift their flying skills," said Indonesian Aero Sports Federation (FASI) spokesman Tagor Siagian on Thursday, Feb. 15.
Paragliding team has been preparing well since January last year by recruiting 18 pilots. 12 best pilots will compete in Gunung Mas, Puncak, Bogor, Jawa and expected to bring four gold medals in six numbers contested. Tagor stated the target is in accordance with the achievement record of Indonesian athletes in world competition.
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In 2010-2014, Indonesia has always been a champion in Paragliding World Cup for women category. Last year, Indonesia won three golds in the Paragliding World Cup in Quebec, Canada. Indonesia also often hosted the world championships. "This track record helps paragliding national team to successfully pass the Asian Games," he added.
Other than paragliding, bridge sports hopefully will bring two golds of six categories. “Bridge sport’s Indonesian team is the strongest in Southeast Asia,” stated Ekawahyu Kasih as The Indonesian Contract BridgeAssociation (GABSI) chairman on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Pencak silat after officially become a sporting discipline in Asian Games 2002 in Busan will also enter the event. In the world championship two years ago, Pencak Silat Indonesia became the champion by winning 12 gold medal. In last year's Asian Games trials tournament in Jakarta, the hosts took seven gold out of ten match numbers.
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