JAKARTA: Indonesians celebrated their country’s first Olympic gold medal in a sport other than badminton, won by Veddriq Leonardo in the inaugural men’s speed climbing event in Paris on Thursday.
Veddriq climbed to a personal best time of 4.75 to beat Chinese rival Wu Peng by just two hundredths of a second on the 15-meter wall.
The 27-year-old former world record holder secured the ninth Olympic gold medal in Indonesia’s history, the other eight all being won in badminton, much to the delight of fans and his family.
“Words can hardly express how we feel. Praise be to God,” his mother Rosita Hamzah told broadcaster Kompas TV.
She said Veddriq called her on Wednesday night to ask her to pray for him before she watched his climb from home in Indonesia with other relatives.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo was among the first to congratulate Veddriq.
“The Paris 2024 Olympics has brought new pride to Indonesia, thanks to Veddriq Leonardo, our proud speed climbing athlete, who secured Indonesia’s first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics,” Widodo wrote on social media platform X.
“Congratulations!“
It was the inaugural individual men’s medal for the separate event of speed climbing, after it had been integrated into a combination of speed, bouldering and lead at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“I am proud, very proud. The excitement was explosive,” Kristoforus Bagaskoro, a 41-year-old creative manager in the capital Jakarta, told AFP.
“We should hype up this sport more and help it develop even more.”
The Southeast Asian archipelago has become an unlikely force in speed climbing, smashing records and nabbing multiple medals at top international events.
Veddriq has led that charge, his father saying his son’s enthusiasm for the exciting sport began after he joined a student group of nature enthusiasts that included wall climbing as an activity.
“He really enjoys the sport. It has always been his dream,” his father Sumaryanto, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, told Kompas TV.
Veddriq’s coach broke down in tears after the victory and Indonesian Sport Climbing Federation chairwoman Yenni Wahid said she was “so moved I could cry.”
Others hoped Indonesia would secure more climbing success and enjoyed Veddriq’s enthusiastic celebrations in Paris.
“He kept kissing the medal, and he couldn’t stop smiling. He looked like he had been relieved from a heavy burden,” 30-year-old Indonesian Annisa Balqis wrote on X.
“Hopefully after this, he will be even more enthusiastic about winning.”
Indonesians delight at first speed climbing Olympic gold
https://arab.news/c5tfm
Indonesians delight at first speed climbing Olympic gold
- Veddriq climbed to a personal best time of 4.75 to beat Chinese rival Wu Peng by just two hundredths of a second on the 15-meter wall
- “Words can hardly express how we feel. Praise be to God,” his mother Rosita Hamzah told broadcaster Kompas TV
100 aspiring young golfers in Saudi Arabia set for next phase with ROSHN Rising Stars
- Arab News spoke to Tyler Jacobson, director of corporate communications at ROSHN Group, about the program’s growth and its long-term vision
RIYADH: With LIV Golf Riyadh 2026 in the books, the success of 22-year-old Australian Elvis Smylie — who claimed victory at Riyadh Golf Club last weekend — has certainly inspired more than just the professionals on the leaderboard.
ROSHN Group, title partner of LIV Golf Riyadh 2026, is now looking to build on that momentum by expanding the ROSHN Rising Stars program, an initiative designed to create opportunities for the next generation of young Saudi golfers.
Following months of training and exposure across LIV Golf events in the UK and US, including participation in the Riyadh Pro-Am tournament, the program is set to enter its next phase, expanding to support a total of 100 aspiring golfers across the Kingdom.
Arab News spoke to Tyler Jacobson, director of corporate communications at ROSHN Group, about the program’s growth and its long-term vision.
“The ROSHN Rising Stars are a group of kids who have come together to learn golf,” Jacobson said. “Many of them have never played golf before in their lives, but last summer, when we partnered with LIV Golf as an international pillar partner, we decided to do something bigger and more meaningful.”
The program focuses not only on developing golfing ability, but on personal growth beyond the course.
“We wanted to give young people the opportunity to grow and learn in the sport of golf, as well as learn new skills on and off of the golf course.”
Golf’s footprint in the region has grown in recent years, with millions tuning in for events in the Middle East as kids partake in the sport through initiatives like the ROSHN Fan Village. For ROSHN Group, that growth aligns naturally with its broader quality-of-life objectives.
“We have seen a real appetite and hunger to engage with the sport. Golf teaches you patience, discipline and values that carry far beyond competition,” Jacobson said. “Quality of life and sport go hand-in-hand, and that’s exactly why we’ve partnered with LIV Golf.
“They’re elevating not only their skills, but their aptitude for life, for traveling, for exposure to new things. This is where we believe the program has offered a lot to the children.”
Participants in the program range in age from 8 to 15, with the program offering an unprecedented level of opportunities to youth in Saudi Arabia.
During the course, which lasts six months, they will receive professional coaching and access to elite golfing facilities in Saudi Arabia, in addition to hands-on competitive experiences. The program is set to support a total of 100 aspiring golfers across Saudi Arabia.
Jacobson believes that events such as LIV Golf play a key role in inspiring youth-focused initiatives like ROSHN Rising Stars.
“LIV Golf is a young league, but it’s doing things like creating new formats and exposing new people across the world to the sport of golf,” he said.
“Traditionally, the sport has been more Westernized, so (allowing) Saudi youth to grow at this stage of the game is a huge opportunity,” Jacobson added. “You see it in our projects, in our communities. It aligns completely with Saudi Vision 2030.”
That quality-of-life aspect has been a strong selling point for golf in breaking into new audiences. In a world where sports are increasingly dominated by success, fame and money, golf also provides an opportunity to grow from a human perspective.
“Ultimately, your skills are not what truly matter,” Jacobson said. “What matters is the desire to learn, to commit and to grow. That’s what we value, and that’s what this program is about.”
