Students from Universitas Indonesia (UI) once again demonstrated their excellence at the 21st National Sports Week (PON) 2024, which took place in Aceh and North Sumatra on September 8-20, 2024. They managed to add to their medal collection, thus strengthening the position of these UI athletes as figures who can achieve in both academics and sports.
The UI athletes are Arfan Maulana from the Faculty of Psychology (FPsi), Hakim Baharizki and Aliifa Nabila Azzahra from the Vocational Education Program, Flora Lareina from the Faculty of Law (FH), and Aila Melody Aaron from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP). Hakim Baharizki became the top medal contributor by bringing home three gold medals and one silver in the Roller Skating sport. The next position is Aliifa Nabila Azzahra, who won one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the Rhythmic Gymnastics sport. Next, Aila Melody Aaron recorded two gold medals in the Diving Pool sport, Flora Lareina managed to bring home one gold and one silver from the Squash sport, and Arfan Maulana closed the list of achievements by winning one bronze medal in the Pickleball sport.
Hard Work Reaps Results
In his statement, Hakim Baharizki shared his long journey before being able to compete in PON XXI. Strict performance-based selection during training sessions was part of the preparation he had undergone for the past three years. “From the five events I participated in, I managed to win four medals. This is my highest achievement while competing in PON,” said Hakim. Before competing in PON, he also competed in the 15th National Aerobic Cup National Skating Championships Elite-College in Taiwan and won sixth and seventh place in the two events he participated in. Meanwhile, Arfan Maulana shared his inspiring story of just starting his career in pickleball in August 2023, thanks to the encouragement of Professor Hamdi Muluk, a professor at the Faculty of Psychology, UI. The UI Pickleball Community became the initial place for him to hone his skills until he was finally selected to represent DKI Jakarta at PON XXI. “Our community often receives attention from the media and various communities outside Java, including the DKI Jakarta provincial administration,” Arfan explained further. He added how meaningful this experience was.
For Arfan, his childhood dream of becoming an athlete finally came true at PON. “The most memorable moment was when I was able to wear the DKI Jakarta contingent shirt and was treated as an athlete,” he said again. Arfan dedicated this achievement to his late father, who was active in the world of sports during his life. As a message for students and the younger generation, Arfan said, “Believe in your abilities, focus on things that can be controlled, and be consistent in becoming better. Don’t forget your obligations as a student, and manage your time wisely.”
Academic and Sports Synergy
“The success of UI students at PON XXI 2024 is real proof that academic and sports achievements can go hand in hand. Until the last day of the PON, 11 UI students managed to contribute a total of 15 gold medals, 5 silver, and 4 bronze in 10 sports,” said Amelita Lusia MSi., CPR, Head of the UI Public Relations and Public Information Disclosure Bureau. This achievement not only made UI proud, but also showed the dedication and never-give-up spirit of the young athletes in facing intensive preparation and training. With this impressive achievement, the students who are also athletes once again emphasized that under the right guidance and support, they are able to achieve the highest achievements at the national level while maintaining their academic quality.
