2022 ASEAN Para Games, Erens Sabandar’s Final Battle

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Number: 79/08/ASEANPARAGAMES/2022

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Solo – The 2022 ASEAN Para Games Solo officially ended on Saturday, 6 August 2022. The closing ceremony was carried out in a magnificent and lively manner at the Manahan Stadium, Solo. The closing ceremony also marked the start of a new chapter toward the 2023 ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia.

Erens Sabandar, a legendary para-sprinter from Maluku who is dubbed as the pearl of the east, also started a new chapter in his life.

On the third day of the 2022 ASEAN Para Games, Erens completed the final of men’s 400m T45/T46 at Manahan Stadium. He finished second behind the Indonesian young para-sprinter, Figo Saputra. Erens finished with a record of 54.670 seconds while Figo finished at 52.730 seconds.

Tran Van Duc and Phung Dinh Tu from Vietnam finished the race behind them. Then, Cambodia’s Yi Soksan, Jerome Fernandez from the Philippines, and another Indonesian para-sprinter, Firza Faturahman Listianto filled the subsequent positions. Ya Thol Radeth, another Cambodia representative completed the race in the last position.

After the race, Erens immediately packed his bags and walked leisurely out of the stadium. Whereas Figo needed to lay down first and asked for treatment from the physiotherapist.

“Target fulfilled,” Erens said briefly after going out of the Manahan Stadium door.

He was covered in sweat, but he did not seem to be exhausted. After his exit, Erens will not return to a stadium as a professional para-athlete.

That was his last race as he decided to retire. He will no longer compete in any championships or events.

Erens felt that he needed to put an end to his career as a para-athlete. The reason is simple, he is already 37 years old, and he feels that he can no longer compete with young para-athletes.

“Sprinting is hard for a 37-year-old. I can keep up in terms of endurance, but I cannot keep up with the younger ones in terms of speed,” he said jokingly.

Despite his best efforts in the last race of his career, Erens only set his sight on the silver medal. He did not imagine that he could win against Figo.

“However, he did not beat my record at 51.250 seconds (2017). Figo’s was 52.730 seconds,” he said.

Erens was the oldest para-sprinter in the Indonesian para-athletics contingent at the 2022 ASEAN Para Games. Most of them were still in their twenties. Figo, the one who beat Erens, is 21 years old and Firza is only 18.

Erens collected 1 silver medal in the men’s 400m T45/T46 and 1 bronze medal in the men’s 200m T46.

In his prime, Erens won many gold medals. It was started at the 2013 ASEAN Para Games in Myanmar where he won 1 gold and 3 silver medals. Then, he presented 1 gold and 1 bronze medals at the 2015 ASEAN Para Games in Singapore. He was at the peak of his career at the 2017 ASEAN Para Games when he brought home 3 gold and 1 bronze medals.

Erens did not only excel at the Southeast Asia level. He won a silver medal at the 2016 Dubai IPC Athletics Asia-Oceania Championships. He finished first at the 2018 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Beijing.

He had planned to retire at the 2019 ASEAN Para Games in the Philippines, but the event was canceled because the Philippines stated their inability to host the games and there was no could not and there was no substitute country. Then, Vietnam also resigned as host in 2021.

“Actually, I was about to retire before I was called up. Since it was played in Indonesia, I accepted,” said the man from Maluku.

He said that all his rivals in Southeast Asia have retired. He was the only one left. When he was still actively competing in the 2013-2015 period, his toughest competitor was from Malaysia.

“I met him here (Manahan Stadium). He laughed when he saw me still competing. He asked me to retire and become a coach,” Erens said.

Introduction to Para-Athletics

Erens was introduced to para sports in 2006 when he was studying in Makassar. He was invited to take part in the South Sulawesi disability sports event, which was called Porcaprov (Provincial Disabled Sports Games) at the time, held in Bone Regency. He accepted it and chose para-sprinting.

Erens remembered that the organization handling sports for people with disabilities was called BPOC (Disability Sports Agency).

“The Indonesian National Paralympic Committee (NPC) did not exist yet back then, it was still called BPOC,” he said.

He also competed with minimum preparation.

“My only preparation was training for a month. From there, I went up to national level, then international level, and so on,” he said.

The love for sports runs in his blood. His father, Rulan Sabandar, was a former football player for the PS Ambon team in the 80s. Erens also like football.

However, Erens had to experience a tragic incident during the great riots in Maluku that broke out in 1999. His arm was hit by a bullet and had to be amputated.

“At the time, I was going to flee with my family. I got hit on the road,” Erens recounted.

He did not want to dwell on that incident. He did not feel resentful either. He learned many lessons from that incident.

“If I was angry, when will I be at peace? Such is life. I was able to become an athlete and a civil servant and went abroad thanks to the incident. I experienced joy,” Erens said.

The government appreciated his achievements and appointed him as a civil servant in 2017.

In disability sports, he was classified in the T46 class (a single amputation above the elbow).

Erens, a civil servant of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the Deputy IV in charge of Sports Achievement Improvement, admitted that he would like to focus on his work first after retiring. However, he did not want to walk away from para-athletics. He wants to be a coach, as suggested by his former rival from Malaysia.

Erents wants to be involved in the regeneration of Indonesian paralympic sprinters. Indonesia has many talented para-athletes. In his opinion, Figo is also one with great potential.

Figo Saputra is one of the stars in the para-athletics at the 2022 Para Games Solo. He won 4 gold medals in men’s 200m T46, men’s 400m T45/T46, men’s long jump F46, and men’s 4x400m relay.

Figo mentioned that Erens is his role model. He said that Erens has a special work ethic and discipline.

“Erens is the most special para-athlete. I admired his work ethic. He is my role model ever since I competed in para-athletics. I learned a lot from him,” Figo said.

Figo is motivated to break Erens’ record in 400m.

“I am highly motivated. I would like to break his record in the next ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia,” Figo said.

Erens Sabandar Achievements:

2014 ASEAN PARA GAMES MYANMAR 1 GOLD AND 3 SILVER

2014 ASIAN PARA GAMES INCHEON 4^TH POSITION

2015 ASEAN PARA GAMES SINGAPORE 1 GOLD AND 1 BRONZE

2016 IPC ATHLETICS ASIA-OCEANIA CHAMPIONSHIPS DUBAI 1 SILVER

2016 ARMY PARA GAMES SRI LANKA 1 SILVER

2017 ASEAN PARA GAMES MALAYSIA 3 GOLD AND 1 BRONZE

2018 WORLD PARA ATHLETICS GRAND PRIX BEIJING 1^ST POSITION

2019 WORLD PARA ATHLETICS GRAND PRIX DUBAI 5^TH POSITION

2022 ASEAN PARA GAMES SOLO 1 SILVER AND 1 BRONZE

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