High Determination and Motivation as the Main Assets of Champion Judokas

Judo is renowned as a tough sport that requires physical strength for players to overcome their opponents. It’s no wonder this sport is admired by people from various backgrounds, regardless of limitations and gender.

Armed with strong determination and motivation, these three athletes with disabilities have proven themselves capable of achieving success at a young age, despite facing various obstacles.

Disiyana Bin Syafarudin (36 Years Old)

Being no longer young did not hinder Andah, a disabled Judo athlete from Papua. Andah, who began his Judo career at the age of 29, has high motivation and ambitious goals in the world of Judo.

Initially, Andah was introduced to the sport by a friend who had been involved in the same activity. Inspired by his friend’s remarkable achievements, Andah became interested in becoming a disabled Judo athlete.

Despite being visually impaired, Andah consistently gave his best performance after years of training. As a result, Andah won three gold medals at the 2021 Papua National Games in his first competition.

Such achievements were unexpected, considering that Andah started exploring this sport at a not-so-young age with his existing limitations. Andah expressed that one of his motivations to deliver the best performance is for the sake of his child and family, so they can experience a better life.

In the future, Andah hopes to continue representing Papua and maintain his three gold medals at the 2023 National Games.

Arinta Destin Maharani (18 Years Old)

Arinta’s introduction to Judo began with her father’s desire for her to engage in more activities. Arinta was introduced to a Judo coach who started training her when she was 12 years old.

As time went by, Arinta became comfortable with her Judo training, especially with the constant support of her parents who accompanied her every step of the way. Although she enjoyed all the activities, there were times when she experienced injuries or fatigue due to intense training.

However, all the fatigue was repaid by her growing list of achievements each year. Arinta turned this into motivation to pursue all her targets with excellence and completion.

Some of her notable achievements include winning a gold medal at the 2022 Blora Regional Pre-National Games and a bronze medal at the 2022 Kasad Cup in Cilodong. Arinta also aims to participate in the National Games (PON) after accumulating points from various Judo competitions she has previously participated in.

Khoirul Huda (17 Years Old)

Huda’s introduction to Judo began when one of his friends invited him to train in Judo since elementary school.

Although he was initially unfamiliar with the sport, with the help of his coach and the support of new friends, Huda became increasingly enthusiastic about training and committed to becoming a Judo athlete to this day.

In his journey as a Judo athlete, Huda often experienced pain after training. However, with the support of his parents who often provided gentle massages, Huda regained his enthusiasm for training.

This support also serves as his motivation to achieve more accomplishments in the world of Judo, eventually earning him medals in various local competitions such as Popda, Porprov, and Solo. In the future, Huda hopes to become a champion at Porprov and be selected as one of the athletes in the Judo Contingent for the Asian Games.