The Strives of East Timor Athletes for Medals at AUG XXI 2024

SURABAYA-The opening match of the 21st ASEAN University Games (AUG) Athletics took place so fiercely on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at the Surabaya State University Athletic Field (UNESA) Campus 2 Lidah Wetan, Surabaya.

In the heat of competition for medals in athletics sports running, East Timor contingent athletes, Angela Freitas de Fatima Araujo showed her struggle to add to the collection of medals for her country.

She had to go through a series of rigorous selection processes at her university for a month before the AUG event rolled out. “The process is quite strenuous I have to divide my focus between lectures and training every day. In the morning, in the afternoon," she said.

After going through a long selection and training phase, she also had to fight hard when she arrived in Surabaya, where she realized her country's dream of winning medals at the AUG XXI 2024 event.

“When we get here, we need to adapt including the weather conditions and heavy traffic,” said Angela.

Before the match, she and her teammates made a series of preparations. From the hotel she had already imagined the medal in her mind. That makes her even more motivated to give her best in the final match.

From the hotel, she and her partner traveled to the athletics venue at UNESA, along the way she kept imagining the medal in her hand.

"The journey was late because of heavy traffic, but my hopes of winning a medal continued to flare up," she said excitedly.

Throughout the journey she kept staring at the movement of the clock in her hand. “I was less calm, but up to the game and we can perform,” she said.

Although there was not much time to warm up, her determination to make her beloved country proud never waned. All her struggle paid off, she managed to increase the coffers of medals for the contingent of her country.

With the bronze that Angela managed to donate, the East Timorese contingent collected a total of 3 medals based on provisional results. The medals were donated by Angela in the women's 5000m athletics; Camoes Dos Santos, Zelia Da Conceicao, and Florencia in the women's pair category in bridge sport.

One more bronze went to Da Costa Pereira, Agostinho Ximenes Belo, and Meliana in the mixed pair category in bridge sport. The achievement of the medal did not make Angela and her colleagues complacent.

"My friends and I are ready to welcome the next athletics event. Therefore, we will focus on the regeneration of the athlete and the improvement of physical condition. What I get is an important capital for our next contingent, " she said. []

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Reporter: Sindy Riska, Farhan Bachtiar, Lina Lubabatul Karimah, and Saputra/AUG PR Team

Editor: @zam*

Photo: AUG PR Team

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