Ammar Roesad won a bronze medal at the Australian Open Short Track Championships. How did this 12-year-old athlete manage to shine in a winter sport that may not be popular among the diaspora in Australia?
Young Indonesian-Australian athlete Ammar Roesad won the bronze medal at the Australian Open Short Track Ice Speed Skating Championship––in the 9 to 12 years age group––after training for less than three years.
His father, Emilson Agusfilkar, said, unlike football and swimming that Roesad had tried before, ice speed skating motivated him on his own. "Once he joined the club, he was the one asking us to keep going," Agusfilkar said.
Training four times a week under the guidance of a coach who is also a former Olympic athlete, Roesad's progress has been rapid. Last year he didn't make Final A, this year he claimed a podium finish.
For diaspora families, ice speed skating may not be a common choice, but it can offer young people a path to discover their talents and identity in Australia. Roesad now idolises William Dandjinou from Canada and remains determined to become a professional athlete.
Listen to SBS Indonesian's conversation with Ammar Roesad and Emilson Agusfilkar to learn about the challenges of pursuing winter sports as an Indonesian-Australian athlete, the considerably high costs, access to quality coaching amid infrastructure limitations, and how diaspora families can support their children's sports’ passions.
Listen to the full podcast.
