Presidential Salute As Irawan Lifts Gold For Indonesia
Zeeshan Mehtab Published August 21, 2018 | 05:08 PM
Eko Yuli Irawan declared he was a "proud Indonesian" after winning the hosts' first weightlifting gold of the Asian Games in front of President Joko Widodo on Tuesday.
Jakarta, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Aug, 2018 ) :Eko Yuli Irawan declared he was a "proud Indonesian" after winning the hosts' first weightlifting gold of the Asian Games in front of President Joko Widodo on Tuesday.
Veteran Irawan, 29, has won multiple major medals in a senior weightlifting career stretching back to his bronze at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, but had never before set foot on the top step of the podium.
"I'm a proud Indonesian and pleased for the country to win gold," Irawan told AFP after receiving his medal from president Widodo.
"I feel like everything I have fought for I have now finally achieved." Irawan's almost flawless performance of strength and control was capped by a 170kg lift in the clean and jerk which raised the roof at the Jakarta International Expo.
To screams from his adoring home fans, Irawan saluted the country's president seated in front of him, broke into a huge smile and flashed a thumbs-up to the packed 2,000-capacity venue after setting a winning total of 311kg.
Vietnam's Trinh van Vinh needed a mammoth personal best of 179kg with the final lift of the competition to snatch gold, but he crumpled in the attempt.
Finally Irawan could savour the golden moment that had always eluded him in the past, after Olympic bronzes at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, silver at Rio two years ago and Asian Games bronzes in 2010 and 2014.
President Widodo presented him with his medal before he saluted again throughout his country's anthem and flag-raising.
Trinh consoled himself with silver, and the bronze went to Uzbekistan's Adkhamjon Ergashev.
The absence of China and Kazakhstan, who are on year-long International Weightlifting Federation bans for multiple historic doping offences, meant North Korea dominated the first day of weightlifting on Monday.
They took both golds in the lightest men's and women's weight classes with pint-sized weightlifters Ri Song Gum in the women's 48kg class and Om Yun Chol in the men's 56kg.
But Irawan ensured there would be no North Korea hat-trick as the weightlifting competition resumed Tuesday.
He began in dominant fashion with 141kg in the snatch, good enough for a 5kg cushion over Ergashev and 8kg over Trinh.
Meanwhile North Korea's Sin Chol Bom, who had been expected to challenge Irawan, was struggling back on 130kg after the first stanza and eventually finished fourth.
Irawan was ecstatic to be halfway to his stated career aims of winning both Asian Games and Olympic gold.
"I'm very thankful to my coach and team, also the people where I am from, for supporting me," he said. "I want to win gold in Tokyo 2020."
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
More Stories From Sports
-
Paris holds its breath for Olympic swimming events in murky Seine
2 hours ago -
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
12 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
12 hours ago -
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
12 hours ago -
Watford hire Cleverley as permanent boss
12 hours ago -
Karachi, Lahore, Multan win matches of National Women’s Cricket Tournament
13 hours ago
-
No communication gap among players, asserts Babar Azam
13 hours ago -
Bracewell looks ahead to Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan
13 hours ago -
Bolt named ICC Men’s T20 WC 2024 ambassador
14 hours ago -
Kewell's Yokohama beat Ulsan to reach Asian Champions League final
15 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results
15 hours ago -
Advisor Sports hands over Rs500,000 to prominent Martial Art Athlete Irfan Mehsud
15 hours ago