Many were surprised that Indonesia was able to win all the gold medals in the pencak silat branch. Does the host factor influence, or because the ability of Indonesian fighters is above the average martial arts athlete from all Asian countries or are there other reasons such as cheating?

Admittedly, the host factor does influence. Audience support for Indonesian athletes is truly extraordinary. They came from various cities in Indonesia, not only from Jakarta and Palembang, where the 18th Asian Games were held. But it came from various other cities in Indonesia.

Audience support

The amount of support from the Indonesian people for athletes competing is recognized by former Indonesian athletes. In various previous events, both world championships and SEA Games (sports events for Southeast Asian countries) and other events that took place in Indonesia, the public interest was not like this.

The ex-athlete's comments illustrate how jealous they are when comparing their times of being quiet. "It used to encourage only fellow athletes, officials, and families," said a former Indonesian athletic athlete when commenting on the final 400-meter relay athletic match in which Indonesia won a silver medal and broke a national record.

Indonesian people are thirsty for the achievements of their athletes so they are willing to queue for hours to get tickets. When they failed to buy tickets because they were used up, the audience still did not leave the stadium and chose to watch from the big screen provided by the committee in several places. This extraordinary support ignited the spirit of Indonesian athletes.

The size of the audience's support was also recognized by the South Korean contingent who asked Indonesian audiences to support South Korean athletes. Not surprisingly, in several branches of matches where Indonesia did not enter the final, many Indonesians wore South Korean uniforms.

Indonesian audiences are also very fair because losing athletes, even those who beat Indonesia fairly, also get applause. This is seen in several branches, including football when Indonesia was defeated by Palestine 1-2 in the group phase. So, outside athletes should be able to take the hearts of the Indonesian audience by appearing fairly, not provoking the audience or referee, and fighting hard in every match. The struggle of athletes from any country can provide inspiration for anyone, anywhere, from any country.

The amount of audience support is not without protest. The Malaysian male takraw soccer team protested because the audience's voice was said to disturb the athlete's concentration. Surely this is an unsubstantiated protest because audience support is indeed needed and not prohibited. Although under pressure from the audience, the Malaysian men's takraw football team finally won gold and the audience also applauded them. In fact, sepak takraw is an authentic Indonesian sport like pencak silat.

Denies cheating

Until the end of all numbers in the pencak silat branch, Indonesia won 14 gold medals. In fact, Indonesia only targets 16 gold medals from all branches and until August 31, 2018, at 8.50 already won 30 gold medals. Many sports exceed the target.

Protests from other contingents were not absent. Several countries protested against the Pencak Silat branch, both because it was contested by the branch at the Asian Games and the alleged fraud. Countries that protested include Iran whose position in the top four medals was defeated by Indonesia which now occupies the top four under China, Japan, and South Korea. Malaysia and Singapore also protested because they suspected the referee was cheating.

One of the accusations of cheating was revealed by the President of the Asian Silat Pencak Federation Sheik Alauddin Yacoob Marican. In addition, the President of the Iranian National Olympic Committee (NOC) also criticized the contest of pencak silat at the Asian Games, because it gave gold 'gifts' to Indonesia.

The criticism also came from the Secretary General of the Malaysian National Silat Pencak Federation Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Ormadin. He accused two referees of judging his fighters, Mohd. Al-Jufferi Jamari, against Komang Harik Adi Putra is unfair. In fact, the two judges were from South Korea and Laos.

Chef de Mission Indonesia at the 2018 Asian Games, Komjen Syarifuddin, denied cheating in pencak silat. According to him the judging and supervision are very strict. "In pencak silat there is no cheating, very fair. I have watched all the martial arts matches. I see in Pencak Silat the fairest," says Syarifuddin in Jakarta.

He explained, there were eight referees who supervised every match in pencak silat. There are also cameras that highlight athletes. If there is a protest against the assessment, the recording is always ready for use. "All numbers use electronic devices. If there is a protest repeated three times. Compared to other martial arts branches, the assessment in pencak silat is much more stringent," Syarifuddin said.

Judges with integrity are certainly not easily tempted to take sides, especially those from various countries. The judges also did not want to sacrifice their careers to tarnish sports sportsmanship. They also want the global pencak silat branch as well as karate from Japan and taekwondo from Korea. Because when pencak silat is competed in the Olympics, for example, they also hope to be a judge.

With the position as host, Indonesia does have the privilege of choosing sports that are contested, including pencak silat. However, pencak silat has become a world sport and competed in many events. Not all sports from Indonesia are dominated by Indonesia. Sepak takraw, for example, is now also a flagship branch of Malaysia and Vietnam.

Medal = Bonus

In addition to audience support and the preparation of relatively long Indonesian athletes, giving bonuses to athletes who get a medal is also a separate stimulus. Not to mention the moral support from the government that was present directly at the arena of the match. President Joko Widodo witnessed several matches at various sporting events and reminded that the bonuses for athletes must be immediately thawed before the sweat of the athlete dries.

That's an idiom message—of course. The Indonesian Minister of Youth and Sports, Imam Nachrowi, said that he had coordinated with the Ministry of Finance and sought a liquid athlete bonus in the first week of September 2018. The amount of bonus that would be submitted was currently being calculated. The amount of bonus received by Indonesian athletes who won medals between Rp750 million to Rp1.5 billion per person. The highest number ever received by Indonesian athletes from the government. Bonuses will also be given to the coach and official. And the bonus will be transferred directly to the recipient's account without any tax deductions.

Besides bonuses, athletes who get medals also get jobs as civil servants or become members of the TNI and Polri. They can still work as athletes as long as they state organizers.

So, it can be understood why pencak silat is very dominating and some other branches get medals beyond the target. This pretension is a collectivity of support from athletes' hard work, audience and government support, as well as a stimulus for athlete welfare. []

Mengapa Indonesia Mendominasi Pencak Silat

Banyak yang terkejut Indonesia mampu meraih semua medali emas di cabang pencak silat. Apakah faktor tuan rumah ikut memengaruhi, atau karena kemampuan pesilat Indonesia memang di atas rata-rata atlet pencak silat dari semua negara Asia atau ada sebab lain seperti kecurangan?

Harus diakui, faktor tuan rumah memang ikut memengaruhi. Dukungan penonton terhadap atlet Indonesia sungguh luar biasa. Mereka datang dari berbagai kota di Indonesia, tidak hanya dari Jakarta dan Palembang saja, tempat dilaksanakan Asian Games ke-18. Namun datang dari berbagai kota-kota lain di Indonesia.

Dukungan penonton

Besarnya dukungan masyarakat Indonesia terhadap atlet yang bertanding diakui mantan-mantan atlet Indonesia. Dalam berbagai even sebelumnya, baik kejuaraan dunia maupun SEA Games (even olahraga untuk negara-negara Asia Tenggara) dan even lain yang berlangsung di Indonesia, animo masyarakat tidak seperti ini.

Komentar-komentar mantan atlet itu menggambarkan betapa mereka cemburu ketika membandingkan masa-masa mereka yang sepi penonton. “Dulu yang memberi semangat hanya teman sesame atlet, official, dan keluarga,” ungkap seorang mantan atlet atletik Indonesia ketika menjadi komentator dalam pertandingan final atletik 400 meter estafet putra di mana Indonesia meraih medali perak dan memecahkan rekor nasional.

Masyarakat Indonesia memang haus akan prestasi atlet-atletnya sehingga rela antre berjam-jam untuk mendapatkan tiket. Ketika mereka gagal membeli tiket karena sudah habis, penonton tetap tidak meninggalkan stadion dan memilih menonton dari layar lebar yang disediakan panitia di beberapa tempat. Dukungan yang luar biasa itu membakar semangat atlet Indonesia.

Besarnya dukungan penonton juga diakui kontingen Korea Selatan yang meminta penonton Indonesia ikut mendukung atlet Korea Selatan. Tidak heran, dalam beberapa cabang pertandingan di mana Indonesia tidak masuk final, warga Indonesia banyak yang mengenakan seragam Korea Selatan.

Penonton Indonesia juga sangat fair karena atlet yang kalah, bahkan yang mengalahkan Indonesia dengan fair, juga mendapatkan applaus. Ini terlihat dalam beberapa cabang, termasuk sepakbola ketika Indonesia dikalahkan Palestina 1-2 dalam fase grup. Jadi, seharusnya atlet luar bisa mengambil hati penonton Indonesia dengan tampil secara fair, tidak memprovokasi penonton atau wasit, dan berjuang keras dalam setiap pertandingan. Perjuangan atlet dari negara mana pun, bisa memberikan inspirasi bagi siapa saja, di mana saja, dari negara mana saja.

Besarnya dukungan penonton bukan tanpa protes. Tim sepak takraw putra Malaysia sempat protes karena suara penonton katanya mengganggu konsentrasi atlet. Tentunya ini protes yang tidak mendasar karena dukungan penonton memang diperlukan dan tidak dilarang. Meski dalam tekanan penonton, tim sepak takraw putra Malaysia akhirnya bisa meraih emas dan penonton juga bertepuk tangan bagi mereka. Padahal, sepak takraw adalah olahraga asli Indonesia sebagaimana pencak silat.

Membantah kecurangan

Sampai berakhirnya seluruh nomor dalam cabang pencak silat, Indonesia meraih 14 medali emas. Padahal, Indonesia hanya menargetkan 16 medali emas dari seluruh cabang dan sampai 31 Agustus 2018 pukul 08.50 sudah mendapatkan 30 medali emas. Banyak cabang olahraga melampaui target.

Protes dari kontingen lain bukannya tidak ada. Beberapa negara protes terhadap cabang pencak silat, baik karena dipertandingkan cabang tersebut di Asian Games maupun dugaan adanya kecurangan. Negara yang protes antara lain Iran yang posisinya di empat besar perolehan medali dikalahkan Indonesia yang kini menempati empat besar di bawah China, Jepang, dan Korea Selatan. Malaysia dan Singapura juga melakukan protes karena menduga wasit curang.

Tudingan kecurangan salah satunya diungkapkan oleh Presiden Federasi Pencak Silat Asia Sheik Alauddin Yacoob Marican. Selain itu Presiden Komite Olimpiade Nasional Iran (NOC) juga mengecam dipertandingkannya pencak silat di Asian Games, karena memberikan emas-emas 'hadiah' untuk Indonesia.

Kecaman juga keluar dari Sekretaris Jenderal Federasi Pencak Silat Nasional Malaysia Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Ormadin. Dia menuding dua wasit yang menilai pertarungan pesilatnya, Mohd. Al-Jufferi Jamari, melawan Komang Harik Adi Putra berlaku tak adil. Padahal, kedua juri tersebut berasal dari Korea Selatan dan Laos.

Chef de Mission Indonesia di Asian Games 2018, Komjen Syarifuddin, membantah adanya kecurangan dalam pencak silat. Menurutnya penjurian dan pengawasan sangat ketat. “Di pencak silat tidak ada kecurangan, sangat fair. Saya sudah menyaksikan seluruh pertandingan olahraga bela diri. Saya lihat di pencak silat paling fair,” kata Syarifuddin di Jakarta.

Ia menjelaskan, ada delapan wasit yang mengawasi setiap pertandingan di pencak silat. Ada juga kamera yang menyorot para atlet. Jika ada protes terhadap penilaian, rekaman itu selalu siap digunakan. “Semua nomor menggunakan alat elektonik. Kalau ada protes diulang sampai tiga kali. Dibandingkan cabang beladiri lain, jauh lebih ketat penilaian di pencak silat,” tambah Syarifuddin.

Para juri yang berintegritas tentu tidak mudah digoda untuk memihak, apalagi mereka berasal dari berbagai negara. Para juri juga tidak ingin mengorbankan kariernya untuk menodai sportivitas olahraga. Mereka juga ingin cabang pencak silat mendunia sebagaimana karate dari Jepang dan taekwondo dari Korea. Sebab ketika pencak silat dipertandingkan di Olimpiade, misalnya, mereka juga berharap bisa menjadi juri.

Dengan posisi sebagai tuan rumah, Indonesia memang memiliki keistimewaan dalam memilih cabang olahraga yang dipertandingkan, termasuk pencak silat. Namun, pencak silat sudah menjadi cabang olahraga dunia dan banyak dipertandingkan dalam berbagai even. Tidak semua cabang olahraga dari Indonesia didominasi Indonesia. Sepak takraw, misalnya, kini juga menjadi cabang andalan Malaysia dan Vietnam.

Stimulus bonus

Selain dukungan penonton dan persiapan atlet Indonesia yang relatif panjang, pemberian bonus bagi atlet yang mendapatkan medali juga menjadi stimulus tersendiri. Belum lagi dukungan moril dari pemerintah yang hadir langsung di arena pertandingan. Presiden Joko Widodo beberapa kali menyaksikan langsung pertandingan berbagai cabang olahraga dan mengingatkan bonus para atlet harus segera dicairkan sebelum keringat atlet mengering.

Tentu saja itu pesan idiom. Menteri Pemuda dan Olahraga Indonesia, Imam Nachrowi, mengatakan sudah berkordinasi dengan Kementerian Keuangan dan mengupayakan bonus atlet cair pada minggu pertama September 2018. Saat ini sedang dihitung besaran bonus yang akan diserahkan. Jumlah bonus yang diterima atlet Indonesia yang meraih medali antara Rp750 juta sampai Rp1,5 miliar per orang. Jumlah terbanyak yang pernah diterima atlet Indonesia dari pemerintah. Bonus juga akan diberikan kepada pelatih dan official. Dan bonus tersebut akan ditransfer langsung ke rekening penerima tanpa adanya potongan pajak.

Selain bonus, atlet yang mendapatkan medali juga mendapatkan pekerjaan sebagai pegawai negeri atau menjadi anggota TNI dan Polri. Mereka masih bisa berkarier sebagai atlet selama menjadi penyelenggara negara.

Jadi, bisa dipahami mengapa pencak silat sangat mendominasi dan beberapa cabang lain mendapatkan medali melampaui target. Pretasi ini merupakan kolektivitas dukungan dari kerja keras atlet, dukungan penonton dan pemerintah, serta stimulus bagi kesejahteraan atlet.[]

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Why Indonesia Dominates Pencak Silat? | Mengapa Indonesia Mendominasi Pencak Silat? |