After the excitement of the 2024 Paris Olympics, it is now time for the 2024 Paris Paralympics, which are ready to roll from August 28, 2024, to September 9, 2024.
The opening ceremony will take place at Place de la Concorde, the square in the centre of Paris, where the skateboarding discipline is at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Anticipation is high not just for the athletes’ performances, but also for the unveiling of their unique and culturally significant attire, each representing their respective countries.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Indonesian athletes’ clothing was designed by designer Didit Hediprasetyo and received rave reviews.
Now, it is Didiet Maulana’s turn with his label, IKAT Indonesia, to be involved in the 2024 Paralympics. In keeping with the label’s trademark, the outfits have a sense of unity and the richness of the archipelago’s culture in the clothes inspired by the Indonesian national fabric.
Ikat itself is an Indonesian weaving craft in the form of cloth woven from strands of weft or warp yarn that were previously tied and dipped in natural dyes.
The Paralympic apparel collection, named Sandya Niskala, embodies the spirit of unity and strength. In Sanskrit, ‘sandya’ means unity and ‘niskala’ means strong or sturdy.
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This concept, as explained in a written statement from IKAT Indonesia, symbolizes the beauty of Indonesia’s diverse cultures and the noble values of strong and sturdy unity, much like the national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.
The outfits were dominated by white color with red motifs. In the motif design, there was a grooved geometric pattern, like a dynamic sea wave inspired by Indonesia as an archipelago. This symbolizes the struggle and optimism of the athletes in facing the competition.
Not to forget the Garuda Pancasila logo, which has a philosophy of strength, unity and integrity of the Indonesian nation.
The arrangement of motifs on jackets, jerseys, and pants also follows a dynamic pattern, resembling the shape of the beak of the Garuda bird in the Garuda Pancasila symbol.
The designers incorporated traditional details into modern clothing, such as shaping the jacket collar to resemble a beskap or Bayuk Belanga suit.
Didiet said he only had 1.5 months to design. During that time, he collaborated with local sporting goods brand Mills, the Indonesian Ministry of Youth & Sports, and the Indonesian National Paralympic Committee (NPC), creating a set of clothing consisting of jackets, jersey shirts, and track pants for Indonesian athletes.
Paris 2024 Paralympic Athlete Targets
The Paris 2024 Paralympics is an opportunity for Indonesia to strengthen its presence in the world sports scene.
Indonesia has set ambitious targets, namely winning one gold medal, two silver medals, and three bronze medals from various sports competed.
Indonesia will begin its struggle at the Paralympics by sending 35 athletes who will compete in 10 sports, namely archery, athletics, cycling, shooting, swimming, boccia, badminton, table tennis, weight lifting, and blind judo.
