Two Indonesian Olympians, Rahmat Erwin Abdullah and Rizki Juniansyah, have officially been assigned to compete in different weight classes at the 2026 Asian Games. Rahmat will compete in the 75-kilogram class, his best category, while Rizki will move up to the 85-kilogram class.
This weight class division ends a fierce competition between Indonesia's two best weightlifters over the past five years. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Rizki won the 75kg class competition and claimed gold, preventing Rahmat from competing. Conversely, at the 2020 Olympics held in Tokyo in 2021, Rahmat was able to compete and won silver.
Rahmat will arrive at the 2026 Asian Games as the defending champion. At the 2022 Asian Games, the athlete from Makassar won gold in the 73-kilogram class, a category that has since been discontinued. For Rizki, the 2026 Asian Games will mark his debut at the continental Asian sporting competition.
Indonesia will send four male and female weightlifters to the 2026 Asian Games. Besides Rahmat and Rizki, other male weightlifters are Ricko Saputra in the 60kg class and Eko Yuli Irawan in the 65kg class. The four female weightlifters being prepared are Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana (49kg), Juliana Klarisa (53kg), Natasya Beteyob (61kg), and Indah Afriza (69kg).
The 2026 Asian Games will take place in Aichi-Nagoya from 19 September to 4 October and will feature eight male and female weight classes in weightlifting.
