Indonesian boccia athlete Handayani won the first gold medal in the sport at the 2025 ASEAN Para Games for the Red and White contingent by defeating Malaysian representative Angeline Melissa at His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary Stadium, Thailand, Friday.
Handayani won the final match in a tie-break after the match ended in a 3-3 draw in regular time. The victory showcased Handayani's perfect comeback , avenging her loss to Melissa in the group stage.
The 29-year-old athlete started the match in the Group B preliminary round by silencing the host representative from Thailand, Chanyadi Piyarat, 5-1.
In the second match of the preliminary round, Handayani suffered a narrow 3-4 defeat to Angline Melissa, which was the only defeat in Handayani's journey to win the APG 2025 gold medal. Despite the loss, Handayani pocketed enough points to advance to the next round.
Handayani bounced back from her defeat in the second match by defeating Singapore's Tan Yee Ting Jeralyn with a convincing 4-1 score in the semifinals, securing a ticket to the final.
In the final, Handayani faced Melissa again. Their second meeting was a tight affair, ending in a 3-3 draw. Handayani secured the victory and took home the gold medal after being declared victorious in the tie-break .
With this result, the boccia team presented the first gold medal for the Indonesian contingent and strengthened its position.
