Orphan from Ciamis passes army selection using pull-up bar built by late father

Bandung (ANTARA) - An orphan from Ciamis, Hafid Nur Hidayah, has passed the Indonesian Army’s soldier selection purely on merit, having trained with nothing more than a wooden pull-up bar made by his late father.

Born in Kebumen on 30 December 2003 and now living in Banjar Harja Hamlet, Kertajaya Village, Lakbok Subdistrict, Ciamis Regency, the young man had to struggle entirely on his own to get through the fiercely competitive military education selection, whilst grieving the successive deaths of both his parents.

“Alhamdulillah, sir, I managed to pass and become a soldier purely on my own merit,” said Hafid, expressing his heartfelt satisfaction after fulfilling a sacred promise to his late father, in Bandung on Tuesday.

The second of two children, Hafid explained that all of his early physical preparation was done simply at home, without the help of expensive fitness facilities.

The pull-up bar assembled by his father stood as a silent witness to the hard training and daily discipline Hafid undertook every day.

His success in passing without any illicit costs simultaneously refutes the stigma surrounding the strict recruitment of Indonesian military equipment and personnel, proving that economic hardship and the status of an orphan are not determinants of failure when accompanied by honesty, hard work and prayer.

The achievement of this young man from Ciamis is hoped to serve as practical motivation for the younger generation in West Java and across Indonesia, showing that every child of the nation has an equal right and opportunity to devote themselves to the state as a soldier of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.