Jakarta. Indonesian weightlifting champion Rizki Juniansyah has been rewarded with a military career after being appointed a Second Lieutenant in the Armed Forces (TNI) by President Prabowo Subianto, following his recent gold medal win at the 2025 World Weightlifting Championships.

Rizki confirmed the news on Wednesday, saying he was surprised and deeply moved by the recognition. “Alhamdulillah, I’ve been appointed as a second lieutenant,” he told Detik in Jakarta.

The 22-year-old athlete said he had long dreamed of joining either the military or the police but was unable to pursue it due to his demanding training and competition schedule. “I wanted to become a police officer or soldier since I was 17,” Rizki said, noting that no one in his family had previously served in the armed forces.

He added that the honor held deep personal meaning because his late father once expressed a wish to see him become an army officer. “When I’m inaugurated, I’ll visit my father’s grave wearing my uniform,” he said. Rizki’s formal commissioning ceremony is scheduled for November 27.

Rizki also shared that TNI leadership has assured him he will be allowed to continue training and competing internationally until retirement.

The appointment follows a string of extraordinary achievements. Rizki is Indonesia’s most successful weightlifter to date, having won gold in the 73-kilogram class at the 2024 Paris Olympics and broken multiple world records across youth, junior, and senior divisions.

At the World Weightlifting Championships in Førde, Norway, on October 6, Rizki claimed two gold medals and shattered a world record in the men’s 79-kilogram category. He lifted 204 kilograms in the clean and jerk -- setting a new world record -- and recorded a total lift of 361 kilograms (157 kilograms in the snatch and 204 in the clean and jerk). He also took bronze in the snatch after narrowly missing a 162-kilogram attempt.

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