Markis Kido And Hendra Setiawan the Indonesian Heroes

I’ve been sitting here at the hotel lobby since 3.30 am this morning for 5 hours to watch Indonesian athletes competing in this year Olympic in Beijing. And about 25 minutes ago, Indonesia finally won a Gold Medal in Men’s Doubles Badminton courtesy of Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan.

It was a hard fought battle. They lost the first set in 14 minutes 12-21 before storming back to win the second 21-11. The third set was nail-biting. Markis and Hendra had match point saved by their opponents 4 times before finally sealing the deal to win Indonesian first Gold medal in this Olympic.

The excitement was heightened with the constant loss of my internet connection. I have to move around to find the signal and quickly reload to see what I’ve missed. But it was a sweet ending when I watched the Red and White Flag raised up to the rafter, accompanied by the melody of the national anthem Indonesia Raya.

I am so proud of both Markis and Hendra. You are Indonesian heroes.

Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan at the podium with the gold medal around their neck