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Paris Paralympics 2024: Indonesia’s first 5 Paralympic Games archers take aim at gold
- The five, who have lost an arm or a leg, are the first archers to qualify for the Paralympics from Southeast Asia’s biggest country
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![Indonesian archers (from left) Setiawan, Wahyu Retno Wulandari, Teodora Audi Atudia, Ken Swagumilang and Kholidin at their training camp in Central Java. Photo: AFP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/22/837a4887-e437-4f61-a9a5-82af6e5b2e91_56eae67a.jpg?itok=KrQ00cbU&v=1724322197)
Five Indonesian archers who have lost an arm or a leg train together under the bright Central Javan sun, drawing their bows and closing one eye to shoot at targets as they prepare for the Paralympics in Paris this month.
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The “magnificent five” are the first archers to qualify for the Paralympics from Southeast Asia’s biggest country, and they are now training their sights on medals.
“It is history. Simply amazing,” Ken Swagumilang, who had his leg amputated because of bone cancer and qualified for the compound men’s standing competition, said in Surakarta city.
The group of archers are aiming to carve out their own legacy with family and government support.
![Ken Swagumilang, a 2022 Asian Para Games bronze medallist, sees a Paralympic semi-final as a realistic goal. Photo: AFP Ken Swagumilang, a 2022 Asian Para Games bronze medallist, sees a Paralympic semi-final as a realistic goal. Photo: AFP](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/22/ee9168ba-f583-4879-a2d2-b5aa430c630a_6ab366ca.jpg)
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