Team Indonesia has exciting final win at the Bali Asian Beach Games 2008
Bali Asian Beach Games
Kuta Beach, Bali
October 23, 2008
National Team surfing took over the final day at the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) sanctioned Bali Asian Beach Games at Kuta Beach today.
After four days of shared fortunes in individual surfing duels, the team event brought national pride and flags to the fore, as the beach crowd enthusiastically supported their teams. In the four surfer team event, riders enter the water in a set order, surfing allocated waves and then exchanging with their next team-mate. An aggregate wave point score for the total of the team decides the ranking of the teams. Three rounds were held to rank the teams for medals.
Indonesia posted three strong wins with a ten point margin over Japan each time. Philippines was trying to close the gap with Japan in each round but Japan always held them off. In the final and deciding round, Indonesia’s Made Widiarta and Made Adi Putra picked off the best of the waves and provided the foundation of their team gold medal. Japan’s power surfer Akihihro Makino provided three good wave scores to set his team up for their silver medal. Luke Landrigan [Philippines] thrilled the crowd with a string of carving turns across a nice wave early in the final, setting people thinking of an upset, but it wasn’t to be, as the event unfolded.
Team Results: Gold Indonesia
Silver Japan
Bronze Philippines
Bronze Maldives
Overall the Bali Asian Beach Games 2008 has been an outstanding success for surfing with its promotion to Asian Olympic bodies, many of whom are now interested in promoting the sport in their countries. The surfing standards have been very high, the teams well managed and the event very professionally conducted.
Final Individual Medallists:
Men’s Shortboard Division:
Gold Garut Made Widiarta Indonesia 1
Silver Made Raditya Rondi Indonesia 2
Bronze Shigenori Suzuki Japan 3
Bronze Carlito Nogalo Philippines 4
Women’s Shortboard Division:
Gold Akiko Kiyonoga Japan 1
Silver Yasnier Gea Indonesia 2
Bronze Marianita Alcala Philippines 3
Bronze Diah Rahayu Dewi Indonesia 4
Men’s Aerial Division:
Gold Dede Suryana Indonesia 1
Silver Yuichi Kurogi Japan 2
Bronze Made Adi Putra Indonesia 3
Bronze Shuhei Kato Japan 4
Men’s Longboard Division:
Gold Yuta Morimoto Japan 1
Silver Luke Landrigan Philippines 2
Bronze Wayan Widana Indonesia 3
Bronze Husni Ridwan Indonesia 4
The formal medal presentation will take place at a formal Asian Beach Games ceremony tomorrow evening.
About the Bali Asian Beach Games
As an innovation of the OCA, the Beach Games have brought together seventeen sports, competing for Olympic medals around the Bali locations of Sanur, Nusa Dua, Serangan Island and Kuta Beach. Most sports are new to the Olympic family of sports. Entry is only through National Olympic Committee nomination and within Asia surfing is a new and very underdeveloped sport in terms of organisation, but the OCA see it as a major youth sport and have been willing to give it a chance to shine in its arena.
The beach infrastructure has been managed by the Indonesian Surfing Union national body, judges are all ISA accredited and the ISA appointed Head Judge is Mr Paul Young [Australia]. ISA VP Alan Atkins is the ISA Technical Delegate. Contest Director is Mr Tipi Jabrik, supported by Mr Oom Arya and Mr Wayan Pica.
The Bali Asian Beach Games 2008 are sponsored by Pertamina, Samsung, Swatch and “Visit Indonesia 2008”.
Further details: http://infosystem.babgoc2008.net
About the International Surfing Association
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for Surfing and all Surfriding activities, including Short Board, Longboard, Bodyboard, Kneeboard, Skimboard, Tow In and Stand Up Paddle surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980.
ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 50 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since. The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Mike Gerard (USA), and Karin Sierralta (Peru).
