RI rallies youth, vets to end 36-yr Asian Games swimming drought

3 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia has named a dynamic 14-swimmer roster blending rising teenage talent with seasoned regional champions, aiming to snap a 36-year podium drought at the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

The national governing body, Akuatik Indonesia, confirmed Tuesday that nine male and five female athletes will represent the nation at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre from Sept. 20 to 25.

Leading the charge are reigning 2025 SEA Games gold medalists Jason Donovan Yusuf, who swept the men’s 50m and 100m backstroke titles in Thailand, and Masniari Wolf, who took gold in the women’s 50m backstroke.

They anchor a squad alongside veteran international competitors I Gede Siman Sudartawa, Farrel Armandio Tangkas, Joe Aditya Wijaya Kurniawan, and Flairene Candrea Wonomiharjo.

Injecting fresh energy into the national setup is a wave of young talent, including Arya Adrean Putra Haryono, Kevin Erlangga Prayitno, Samuel Maxson Septionus, Adelia Chantika Aulia, and Nadia Aisha Nurazmi.

Officials hope this mix of youth and momentum from Indonesia’s 11-medal haul at the 2025 SEA Games will elevate the team on the continental stage.

Indonesia is looking to bounce back after coming up empty-handed at the Hangzhou Games, where their best individual result was a sixth-place finish by Farrel in the 200m backstroke.

The nation has not claimed an Asian Games swimming medal since the 1990 Beijing Games, when legendary sprinter Richard Sam Bera and teammates secured three bronzes—a dry spell the current coaching staff, led by head coach Albert Christiadi Sutanto, is determined to end.