Brilio.net - Good news has come again from the 2024 Paris Paralympics. This time, Saptoyogo Purnomo, successfully presented a silver medal in the para athletics branch with the men's 100-meter T37 classification. This achievement also became the first medal for Indonesia in the event.
Sapto recorded a time of 11.26 seconds in the final match, Saturday (31/8) at 01.00 WIB in the morning. Basically, the coaching team only burdened him with the target of getting a bronze medal, or the same as what he got at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Not only did he contribute the first medal , his appearance in the final of the 2024 Paris Paralympics broke the Asian record. It is known that the previous Asian record was held by himself at the 2022 Asian Para Games. At that time, Sapto won the gold medal with a time of 11.28 seconds.
photo: Instagram/@Saptopurnomo
Sapto could not hide his happiness after winning the silver medal. He admitted that he was previously down when he was about to play the final match at the Stade de France, Paris.
"I was down because there were new opponents and I didn't know their best times, but I strengthened my determination to do my best to win this medal," said Sapto after the match, quoted by brilio.net from kemenpora.go.id on Sunday (1/9).
But behind his proud achievements, of course Sapto has gone through hard training. Many people do not know his figure as an Indonesian para-athlete. Here is his figure and story of struggle collected by brilio.net from various sources.
photo: Instagram/@Saptopurnomo
It is known that Sapto was born with physical limitations. He is a disabled athlete who suffers from cerebral palsy, a disorder of muscle movement, or body posture. However, this limitation did not prevent him from achieving success. At least he has proven it in various sports events.
Sapto was born on August 17, 1998 in Banyumas, Central Java. The physical limitations he experienced made him have weakness in his right hand and foot. This makes the movement of his right hand look stiff and not as flexible as people in general.
However, he also never asked to be born and grow up with that condition. Even since he was little, he was often made fun of by his peers. This made him almost drown because he couldn't bear the taunts from his friends.
However, Sapto seemed to never give up. He then rose to prove that what he was experiencing right now should not be underestimated, let alone made fun of. Therefore, he decided to practice sports and decided to enter the athletics branch.
photo: Instagram/@Saptopurnomo
Sapto first practiced sprinting when he was 16 years old. At that time, he was still in grade 1 of Vocational High School (SMK). Continuing to persevere in that field, he was brought to the national training level and became a national athlete.
Despite his limitations, Sapto managed to prove his extraordinary abilities in the field of sports, thus achieving many achievements. These achievements finally made people who had made fun of him as a child realize that physical limitations are not a barrier to achieving success.
Fighting in the para-athletic branch, the 23-year-old man continues to soar with a series of achievements in various championships. Not only nationally, Sapto has repeatedly made Indonesia proud in the international branch.
Sapto's achievements began at the 2016 National Paralympic Week (Peparnas) in Bandung. No half measures, Sapto immediately won five gold medals in the five events he participated in. The events were the 100-meter run, 200-meter run, 4x100-meter relay, 4x400-meter relay, and long jump.
Not satisfied with that, Sapto returned to the championship, this time at the 2017 ASEAN Para Games, Malaysia. Sapto won two gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, and one silver medal in the long jump. In addition, he also performed brilliantly at the 2017 Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai by winning two silver medals, and one gold at the World Para Athletics in China 2018.
After that, Sapto added to his medal collection from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. He managed to present a bronze medal from the men's 100-meter track and field track in the T37 category. And now, most recently, he has succeeded in presenting a silver medal for Indonesia at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
This silver medal was a special gift for Sapto when his wife was four months pregnant. After the final match that his wife watched via live streaming, Sapto immediately contacted her.
"To my wife, thank you for your endless support and motivation. Hopefully this is not the last moment we get a medal, and hopefully in the future this achievement can continue," said Sapto.
Sapto still has a chance to win a medal in the event. Because he will still compete in the men's 200-meter T37 classification. However, the competition for medals will be much tighter with the presence of athletes who specialize in the 200-meter event.