October 31, 2025 | 01:01 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia has made history with its debut in camel racing at the 2025 Asian Youth Games (AYG) in Bahrain. Mohammad Al Fathih Abdillah, a young athlete from Indonesia, became the nation's first representative in the sport native to the Middle East.
He competed in the 500-meter sprint race at Equestrian Endurance Village, vying against 16 top young camel racers across Asia. "I am really proud to represent Indonesia. This is also the first time Indonesia participates in camel racing," said Fathih, as quoted from Antara.
Despite undergoing only 12 days of intensive training in Abu Dhabi, he finished 11th with a time of 1 minute and 6 seconds. He admitted he had not fully bonded with the camel provided by the organizers due to limited adaptation time.
"I have not fully bonded with the camel because we used the one provided here and adaptation time was limited. But this experience is invaluable. I aim to become the first Indonesian camel racing athlete to win an international gold medal," said Fathih.
The race, held under the scorching desert heat, was still dominated by Middle Eastern athletes. Two representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed Umair Al Rashedi and Khalifa Alghfeli, finished first and second with a time of 45 seconds, followed by M. Wasmi Sultan Al Balawi from Saudi Arabia at 48 seconds.
Indonesia's participation in AYG 2025 was spearheaded by the Indonesian Camel Racing Sports Association (POUI), which has been overseeing the development of camel racing in the country. Before competing, POUI sent four young athletes: two male and two female athletes, to attend a training camp in Abu Dhabi in early October 2025.
POUI President Dipo Nurhadi Ilham was present at the racing venue for support. On that occasion, Dipo sat alongside Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President of the World Camel Sport and Vice President of the Saudi Olympic Committee.
Prince Fahd expressed his appreciation for Indonesia's participation, emphasizing the importance of collaboration among Asian countries in expanding the popularity of camel racing.
Dipo voiced his pride in Fathih and the team's achievement. "We are very pleased for Indonesia to create new history in this international event. POUI is committed to advancing camel racing in Indonesia, both in athlete development and cooperation with international federations," he said.
Indonesian camel racing team coach Wahyu Setiawan described the result as an important milestone for the development of this new sport in the country. "Even though it’s our debut, we’re not far behind. This is significant as no Indonesian has ever competed in this sport before," said Wahyu.
He added that they plan to participate in other events and advanced training in the Middle East. "We are also looking for locations in Indonesia that can host camel racing competitions to allow this sport to thrive in the country," he said.
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