Badminton and Weightlifting Contribute 3 Gold Medals at the 2026 Asian Games, Indonesia Moves Closer to Its Target

Indonesia's contingent is closing in on its target of four gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games. Two key milestones have already been secured through badminton and weightlifting, with badminton even delivering results beyond its initial assigned target.

Badminton has contributed two gold medals to date. The latest gold came from Men's Doubles pair Leo Rolly Carnando / Daniel Marthin, after they defeated the Chinese pairing in the final match.

Prior to this, Indonesia Men's Team had already stood on the highest podium after beating China in a dramatic 3-2 final fixture.

With these two gold medals, badminton has officially exceeded its assigned target of one Gold Medal.

Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir conveyed appreciation for the achievement of all athletes, coaches, officials, and the entire supporting team.

"I extend my appreciation and gratitude to the Indonesian Badminton Team. We set a target of one gold, but today the badminton branch has successfully presented us with two gold medals," he stated in an official Ministry of Youth and Sports release.

According to Erick, this achievement was made possible through the commitment and hard work of athletes, coaches, officials, federation management, and every member of the squad.

In the weightlifting branch, the target of one gold medal has also been fulfilled. Lifter Rahmat Erwin Abdullah secured this gold medal competing in the men's 75 kilogram class.

Rahmat's accomplishment is made even more remarkable as he also set new world records: a 366 kilogram total lift world record, alongside a world record for the clean and jerk discipline.

Erick stated that these results prove targets assigned to each sports branch can act as a driving force for athletes' competitive efforts.

"We also extend our appreciation to the weightlifting team who earned one gold exactly as their target. This proves that the targets we set can function as strong motivation," he added.

However, Indonesia's campaign at the 2026 Asian Games is not yet complete. With two golds from badminton and one gold from weightlifting, the Red and White contingent still requires one more gold medal to reach the overall four gold target.

Erick noted that Leo / Daniel's success can act as additional morale boost for Indonesian athletes competing in other sports branches. He expressed hope that the next gold medal will be secured soon to meet the four gold target.

"Only one gold remains from the target we have set. Let this gold achievement from Leo and Daniel fuel the fighting spirit of all our athletes still competing to claim the next gold medal," he remarked.

Indonesia still has active athletes competing across multiple remaining sports branches. The Ministry of Youth and Sports expects athletes from other disciplines will deliver additional gold medals and push the national contingent to hit the agreed target.

"We are still awaiting the efforts of other promising sports branches also in contention for gold. Every sporting squad must uphold their commitment to meet the targets that have been mutually agreed," Erick concluded.

Current standings show the massive contribution made by badminton and weightlifting to Indonesia's campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Badminton has even doubled its assigned gold target, while weightlifting delivered its target with a spectacular world record breaking performance.