The Story of Devi Ayu Lidyana, the Champion of Kickboxing Match in PON XXI Aceh-Sumatra Utara 2024, Representing Both the Alma Mater and Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta, 16 October 2024. It has almost been a month since the National Sports Week (PON) XXI Aceh-Sumatra Utara 2024 closed. In spite of that, this event, however, has brought a major impact on our national athletes as it gave them many precious memories. Between all of these athletes, there is one specific person in these event from the Female Kickboxing category who is also representing Yogyakarta, named Devi Ayu Lidyana. Usually called by her peers as Devi, she is an English Department UGM student batch 2020 who won the bronze medal from the Kickboxing competition in the female category.
Before being the champion, Devi was a model student in the Faculty of Cultural Science UGM 2024. This of course can be seen from many achievements she had gained in the last four years from pencak silat and kickboxing championships. PON XXI was Devi’s first Kickboxing competition, a martial arts competition where it involves kicking and punching. Even though this is her first competition, the selection process was very strict to which she had to go through various stages of selection like in the provincial selection and the pre-PON selection for first and second place winners.
“This journey is filled with challenges since I have to manage my time for my studies and my training. PON has given me a great opportunity for me to test my limits against other amazing athletes of Indonesia,” said Devi telling her journey during the selection process as she had to manage her time between her studies and her training.
It was such an amazing opportunity for Devi by enrolling herself to PON XXI Aceh-Sumatra 2024. Not only that, she had also got an opportunity to get to know each other with other athletes from different backgrounds from all over Indonesia. “The most memorable experience in PON 2024 for me is the fact that I could meet many friends from many different backgrounds. Aside from expanding my relations, I also learned a lot from their determination. I also got a lot of support from the coach and the team. They have always helped me from before and after the competition. The solidarity between the athletes, coaches, and the team was really the most touching moment from this event and it also motivates me to give the best to the field.”
Devi’s achievement in winning the kickboxing competition started when she had already been active in another martial art, pencak silat. At that time, Devi was still trying to manage her training activities between pencak silat and kickboxing to which she practised pencak silat in the afternoon and kickboxing in the evening. Besides pencak silat and kickboxing, she also practises Muay Thai, a martial art that is also focused on punching and kicking. The opportunity of joining kickboxing came to her when she enrolled herself in a selection process for an exhibition in Sports Week (PO) event in the kickboxing category to which managed to take first place in the competition. This achievement would then push her to pursue kickboxing to which she would then win various kickboxing championships.
As Devi is a student that got into UGM through her martial arts achievements (PBUB), she was dictated by the university to pursue martial arts competitions in her first two years of college. She tells prospective students that wanted to or have passed this path to make the most of this opportunity. “Don’t hesitate to dream big, be passionate, and keep being disciplined to take every step,” she said.
