BOGOR, West Java — President Joko Widodo on Wednesday appealed to Indonesian athletes to get the top two position in the medal tally of the 30th Southeast Asian Games that the Philippines is hosting from November 30 to December 11.
“I want us to emerge as the top two at the Philippines 30th SEA Games,” President Widodo (Jokowi) said in his speech during the send-off ceremony of the Indonesian contingent at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java.
Jokowi said the Indonesian athletes were expected to improve their achievements in various international multi-sport events though it was not an easy task.
With a solid fighting spirit and the support of 260 million Indonesians, he said the athletes should do their best to grab as many medals as possible at the biennial meet, which the Philippines will host for the fourth time.
At the ceremony which was also attended by Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali, President Jokowi handed over a Red and White flag to the Chief of the Indonesian Contingent for the 30th SEA Games, Harry Warganegara.
The opening ceremony of the biennial multi-sport event will be held at the indoor Philippine Arena on Saturday (November 30).
The Indonesian athletes who just won 38 gold medals at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur will compete against those from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam. (Antara)
