Hello SEA Games, Gen Z Athletes Show Off Their Skills!

Amid the spotlight of lights and cameras during the athlete introduction at the Gymnasium 5 Stadium of Thammasat University Rangsit, Pathum Thani, on Thursday (11/12/2025), Alarice Prakoso (17) and Salsabilla Hadi (20) were undaunted. The two Generation Z representatives from Indonesia in women's artistic gymnastics were reluctant to appear without making an impression. They posed in the style of the film "Sherina's Adventure."

Alarice and Salsabilla high-fived, then turned their backs to each other with their arms folded. The audience was amused by the act, as gymnasts from other countries hadn't come up with such a unique idea. "Who else could have come up with the idea? It must have been her (Alarice)," Salsabilla said when asked who initiated the choreography.

Before their performance, the two gymnasts succeeding Rifda Irfanaluthfi had already uploaded TikTok-style dances. Salsabilla, who has an introverted personality, appeared graceful. Alarice, without a doubt, exuded an endless energy typical of an extroverted teenager. They concluded the day with an impressive performance on the competition mat.

The SEA Games Thailand 2025 is indeed a platform for showcasing the talents of Generation Z from Indonesia, such as Alarice and Salsabilla. Indonesia is sending a total of 1,021 athletes, the majority of whom are young athletes.

Even in rock climbing, which consists of 18 athletes, all of whom were born between 1997 and 2012. Although it has a young squad, with an average age of 19 years, this does not mean they cannot achieve success.

Alma Ariella Tsany (16) and Ardana Cikal Damarwulan (15) even immediately opened their rock climbing career at the SEA Games by winning a gold medal in the lead discipline at the Bangkok Sport Climbing Center, SAT Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand, Friday (12/12/2025).

Alma was the only climber out of the eight male and female finalists to reach the top of the climbing wall. The essence of the lead competition is to climb along a path until you reach the highest point possible.

In the speed discipline competition the following day, Gen Z also spread their charm again. Antasyafi Robby Al Hilmi (18) and Puja Lestari (22) added two gold medals for the Indonesian rock climbing team, which has indeed positioned the SEA Games as a stepping stone for young climbers. In total, rock climbing won four gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze medal.

"We have a fairly strong layer of talent, which we encourage to gain experience so that they can become competitors to the seniors. In the coming years, they will be the mainstay of the national team," said Hendra Basir, coach of the Indonesian climbing team.

In the swimming branch, Indonesia's Gen Z children are not merely participants in the competition. Although still very young, they have become the backbone of the "Merah Putih" swimming team. All of Indonesia's gold medals, three in total, were contributed by two swimmers. They are Masniari Wolf (20) and Jason Donovan Yusuf (18).

Jason is particularly special as he contributed two gold medals simultaneously in his debut at the SEA Games. Indonesia's swimming coach, Albert C. Sutanto, stated that Jason and the swimmers born in the 2000s will be the mainstay from now on. "They have proven that they can achieve success, replacing their seniors," said Albert.

In addition to artistic gymnastics, rock climbing, and swimming, other sports also provide opportunities for young Gen Z athletes, such as athletics. When given the chance, they prove themselves with gold medal achievements.

Diva Renatta Jayadi, only 23 years old, for instance, broke the SEA Games women's pole vault record and won a gold medal. Diva even quenched Indonesia's thirst for gold in the women's pole vault after 22 years.

In the hurdles event, there is Dina Aulia, who is only a year younger than Diva. Like Diva, Dina also contributed a gold medal for Indonesia in Thailand. Diva and Dina opened the floodgates for athletics, which by Monday (15/12/2025) had collected a total of eight gold medals.

The women's volleyball team also fielded a squad combining experienced senior players and potential junior players. Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi, at the age of 26, is indeed still considered part of Generation Z. However, in terms of experience, she can be regarded as a senior.

Unlike the previous four editions of the SEA Games in which she participated, Megawati is no longer the youngest player on the team. Instead, this time, she carries the responsibility of mentoring teammates who are up to 9 years younger than her.

With these young players, Megawati also maintained her third-place finish at the SEA Games. "With a combination like this, there's not an immediate connection at first. The seniors are too serious, the juniors are more relaxed. But once they connect, the connection is good," said Marcos.

The SEA Games, often referred to as an intermediate target, should indeed serve as an opportunity for young athletes. Moreover, the SEA Games are held biennially. If the approach taken is solely to win as many medals as possible in pursuit of rankings, the efforts for athlete regeneration could be hindered.

The success of several sports disciplines in achieving accomplishments, despite fielding Gen Z athletes, seems to dispel the notion that the two cannot coexist. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, through Minister Erick Thohir, has indeed stated that it does not wish to differentiate between athletes based on junior or senior status. What is most important, according to Erick, is that they can deliver achievements.

However, these Gen Z individuals need to be given experiences and platforms to showcase their talents. With the characteristic attitude of this generation, which tends to be open, expressive, and creative, they will become the cornerstone of Indonesia's achievements in the future.