Shout Out for Japan

REALITY CHECK

- James S. Kallman

The cry of joy could be heard in almost every local household on Monday 2nd August as Indonesians celebrated their athletes' success at the world’s most prestigious sporting event, the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu defeated the second-seeded Chinese pair in straight sets in the women’s doubles badminton final. Another Indonesian shuttler, Anthony Ginting Sinisuka, added a bronze medal in the men’s singles a few hours later.

The women’s doubles success was the event’s highlight for the country, representing the first-ever Olympic medal ever for Indonesia in the women’s doubles. For Polii, this win was a momentous redemption since her disqualification in London 2012, the retirement of her Rio 2016 partner Nitya Krishinda Maheswari, shoulder surgery, and the loss of her brother late last year. Wow, talk about her fight!