Indonesian Swimmers Increasingly Lag Behind

Singapore and Vietnam have excelled in terms of implementing sports science and long-term training. Without breakthroughs in athlete development, it will be difficult for Indonesian swimmers to compete at the SEA level.

KOMPAS/Adrian Fajriansyah

Indonesian women\'s swimmer Azzahra Permatahani is competing in the women\'s 200-meter breaststroke final at the 2019 Philippines SEA Games at the Aquatic Arena, New Clark City, Philippines, Thursday (5/12/2019).

NEW CLARK CITY, KOMPAS – The 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games has laid bare the position of Indonesian swimmers in the regional competition, in which they are increasingly lagging behind Singaporean and Vietnamese swimmers. The two countries have excelled in terms of implementing sports science and long-term training beginning 15 years ago. Without breakthroughs in athlete development, it will be difficult for Indonesian swimmers to compete at the Southeast Asian level.

As the second day of swimming competition ended at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in the Philippines on Thursday (5/12/2019), Singapore led with eight golds, three silvers and one bronze. Vietnam followed behind with four golds, four silvers and two bronzes. Host Philippines is in third place with one gold, one silver and two bronzes. Indonesia is in fourth place with two silvers and five bronzes.