Last Updated:
Indonesian player Ahdan Asasi Ramadhan, a former ball boy, will play against India at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, fulfilling his dream.
Ahdan Asasi Ramadhan (center)
Eight years after serving as a ball boy during the 2018 Asian Games hockey matches in Jakarta, Indonesian midfielder Ahdan Asasi Ramadhan is set to realise a dream he has carried since then: playing against India.
Ramadhan, who was 19 at the time, took photographs with legendary Indian players Sardar Singh and Rupinder Singh during the Jakarta Games. Now 27, he will face India when the two teams meet in a Pool A match at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday.
The Indonesian midfielder is a keen follower of Indian hockey. He regularly watches India’s matches in the FIH Pro League and also follows the Hockey India League on television.
Ramadhan is particularly inspired by Hardik Singh, one of the key midfielders in the current Indian side, and is looking forward to facing his idol.
“It will be an honour for me and other players to play against India, one of the strongest teams in the Asian Games. Moreover, I follow a lot of Indian players in the FIH Pro League and even in the Hockey India League which I watched on TV,” Ramadhan, who will be playing in his second Asian Games, told PTI in an interview.
Ramadhan has vivid memories of India’s meeting with Indonesia at the 2018 Asian Games. He was working as a ball picker when India registered a 17-0 win in their pool match.
“I was a ball picker (in hockey matches) in the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018. I remember India thrashing Indonesia 17-0 (in a pool match). After the match, I took pictures with Sardar Singh, Rupinder Singh and Vivek (Sagar Prasad).
“Now I am going to play against them. This is so exciting for me. I will learn a lot for them, it’s dream come true.”
The Indian team at the 2018 Asian Games was led by PR Sreejesh and included Sardar, Harmanpreet, Rupinder and Manpreet Singh.
Ramadhan could again have the opportunity to take photographs with some of those players, but only after Sunday’s match.
Asked if he plans to take photos with Indian players on Sunday, he said, “Maybe after the game. But in the game, I just want to show off my best.
“As a team, we are looking forward to the match to play to our best without any pressure. We just want to learn and beat them (India) if we can.”
Ramadhan, who was part of Indonesia’s bronze-medal winning team at the 2023 South East Asian Games, has ambitions of becoming a leading hockey player in his country.
“Hockey is not very famous in Indonesia, but very famous in India. But I want to be a star player in hockey because Indonesia don’t have any star player like Harmanpreet, Manpreet and Hardik.”
Hardik, however, holds a special place among the Indian players he follows.
“I’m inspired by all of the Indian players. But I see Hardik Singh as my role model. He is also a midfielder like me, he’s a very smart guy and not clumsy with the ball. He is a very tough player, so he is my idol.
“But on the field, I will treat them as my opponents. We play India in our first match. We have a strategy for India and will prepare well for the match. As a team, we will do our job,” said Ramadhan who made his Asian Games debut in Hangzhou, China, in 2023.
Indonesia finished ninth at the last Asian Games after losing four of their five group matches.
Ramadhan also hopes to experience Indian hockey from within by eventually playing in the Hockey India League.
“I see a lot of star players in the HIL, the crowd, the quality of the matches, it blows my mind. The league is so very good. Maybe one day, I will play in Hockey India League.”
Ramadhan began playing hockey in 2010 while in junior school. He later studied sport and medicine at State University of Jakarta before competing in the national championship and earning a place in the Indonesian national team in 2019.
“I started playing hockey in 2010 in junior school. I studied sport and medicine in State University of Jakarta. And then, I competed in national championship and then got into the national team in 2019.”
Quick Answers
Ask News18Ahdan Asasi Ramadhan is the Indonesian midfielder who served as a ball boy during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and is now set to play against India. Ramadhan, who was 19 years old when he worked as a ball picker, is now 27 and will face his idolized Indian team at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Ask News18About the Author
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
September 17, 2026, 19:37 IST
Read More
