Lessons from Sydney

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.

This statement by Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France, the father of modern Olympics, made more than 100 years ago still resonates around the world today, as we reach the halfway point of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Winning indeed is not everything, but in the increasingly competitive environment that the Olympic Games are held in, winning helps, not only for the athletes, but also for the countries they represent. Winning a medal, particularly gold, is the prize most coveted by all athletes sent to the Sydney Games. They are not only fighting for personal glory, but for also for the honor of their country.

Thanks to the likes of Candra Wijaya, Tony Gunawan, Hendrawan, Raema Lisa Rumbewas, Sri Indriyani and Winarni Slamet, Indonesia will end up in quite a respectable position in the Sydney 2000 medal tables. While Indonesia's Olympic ranking is still far from reflecting its position as the world's fourth largest country, it is a significant improvement on the 1999 Games in Atlanta. It is also most encouraging that weightlifting has contributed three medals, to add to the three from badminton, at which the nation has always excelled. This shows that if we really put our minds to it, we can be as good as any other country at any sport.

The lessons from Sydney apply not only to other athletes, but also to the rest of the nation, in whatever profession they are in. In a competitive environment, the nation will do well to emulate the spirit that led our badminton shuttlers and women weightlifters to win Olympic medals.

The spirit of competition and sportsmanship shown by our medal winning athletes could determine whether or not we as a nation will survive global economic and political competition.

What were the qualities that produced our Olympic champions? Take badminton for example. Perseverance, diligence, consistency and precision were the most visible qualities shown by the shuttlers on their way to winning medals. Having a professional attitude, not in the sense of making money out of sports but in the sense of taking their sports seriously, also helped their winning ways.

Of course, there were long preparations, including rigorous training and discipline, before the players arrived in Sydney. Winning the medals was the climax of a long process for the athletes themselves, as well as officials responsible for selecting and grooming them.

Having the right strategy also helped. Indonesian badminton officials made a mistake allowing 18-year old Taufik Hidayat to be the number one seed in the men's singles in Sydney. As good as Taufik may be, at that age he found the pressure and burden too much; so much so he failed to even make it to the semifinals.

Being the sport that the nation excels at, badminton has also enjoyed support and goodwill from all members of society, including the government and big spending sponsors.

Using the formula that has led Indonesia to become one of the world's badminton powerhouses -- perseverance, diligence, consistency, precision, strong discipline, commitment, thorough preparations, correct strategy, goodwill and the right kind of support -- there is no reason why Indonesia cannot excel in other sports in the next Olympics.

By emulating the competitive and sporting spirit that our medal-winning athletes have shown in Sydney, there is also every reason to be optimistic that Indonesia will not only survive in the era of global competition, but can also excel in any arena, whether it be sporting, political or economical.