Indonesia finished second with 91 gold medals. The last time Indonesia reached the 90-plus medal mark was in 1991, 34 years ago, in Manila, Philippines.Let's talk about Indonesia's SEA Games achievements outside of hosting the event. The highest medal tally, which has long been unbeaten, was in 1993, when the SEA Games were held in Singapore, with 88 gold medals. The closest was the 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with 87 gold medals.
Amidst this, the Indonesian team's gold medal achievements have fluctuated. Their lowest was just 38 gold medals, ranking fifth, in Kuala Lumpur in 2017. That wasn't even a decade ago. Their highest was only in late 2025.
The question is, why did Indonesia once triumph at the Southeast Asian Games, even winning three consecutive titles from 1989 to 1993, then become unstable in the middle, then rise again in 2025?
There are many factors, actually. But let's highlight a few key points that could serve as a catalyst for Indonesia's continued success in the world of sports.
In Indonesia's golden era in the field of sports, which peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the dominance of sports was mapped out for the strength of each country.
At that time, Indonesian badminton was a global power, no longer confined to Southeast Asia. While badminton often received the spotlight, weightlifting, pencak silat, athletics, archery, boxing, swimming, and rowing also contributed gold medals.
Back then, before computers and the internet had even reached Indonesia, athletes relied more on hard work and the privilege of being coached by former champions. Champions of the past era would personally train, producing future champions.
