Yogyakarta. Seven countries are participating in the Southeast Asian Modern Pentathlon Championship at Sasana Krida Stadium, Air Force Academy, Sleman, Yogyakarta.

The participating countries are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Timor-Leste.

This prestigious competition, held from May 12 to 14, features a total of 76 athletes -- 51 from Indonesia and 25 from other countries.

“These pentathlon athletes will compete over four days. We hope that Indonesia will once again emerge as the overall champion at the upcoming SEA Games in Thailand this December,” said the Chairman of Modern Pentathlon Indonesia (MPI), Air Vice Marshal TNI Purwoko Aji Wibowo, on Monday.

There are three events being contested: laser run, biathle, and triathle. The competition categories include U-17, U-19, junior, senior, and mixed relay.

Aji said he hopes that this championship will serve as preparation for Indonesian athletes to defend their overall champion title at the SEA Games in December.

Deputy for Sports Industry Development at the Youth and Sports Ministry, Raden Isnanta, praised the event, saying it was remarkable that Indonesia had been entrusted to host the championship. He expressed hope that this event would serve as valuable training for the Indonesian team ahead of the SEA Games.

“We hope Indonesian athletes are not just training continuously, but also actively competing. This event is part of the preparation for the SEA Games in Thailand,” said Raden.

Meanwhile, Indonesian modern pentathlon athlete Graha Rizky Taruna said he had been training regularly ahead of the competition, sharpening his skills in the five disciplines: fencing, swimming, obstacle course, running, and shooting. Despite facing many challenges, he said Indonesian athletes were still able to compete with their international counterparts.

“The results were very satisfying. On the final lap, we managed to beat the Vietnamese athlete. For early preparation, we trained in the five sports: fencing, swimming, obstacle course, running, and shooting. Today was tough because I had a fever, but I was still able to compete,” said Graha.

Indonesia previously won the overall championship in modern pentathlon at the 2019 SEA Games by securing four gold medals. The national team is expected to defend its title in this multi-sport event in Thailand this coming December.