Athlete Empathy, Justin Barki Donates SEA Games Gold Bonus

Viralterkini.id, Jakarta – Indonesian male tennis athlete, Justin Barki, showed deep empathy by donating his entire 2025 SEA Games gold medal bonus to Thailand worth IDR 1 billion to help victims of flash floods in North Sumatra.

This donation was given as a form of Justin’s social concern for communities affected by natural disasters at the end of this year.

Justin won a gold medal with Christopher Rungkat in the men’s team tennis event at the 33rd SEA Games which took place in Thailand on December 16 2025.

This victory ensures that the Indonesian men’s tennis team rises to the highest podium and is entitled to receive an appreciation bonus from the government of IDR 1 billion.

Without hesitation, Justin decided to channel all the bonuses to help flood victims.

“So I will donate all the proceeds from my award, the money, to people in North Sumatra. Even though the amount may not be much, I hope it can help ease their burden,” said Justin in his statement in Jakarta, Tuesday (24/12).

The flash floods that hit a number of areas in North Sumatra in the last few weeks caused damage to infrastructure, forced thousands of residents to flee, and caused significant material losses.

Justin’s solidarity action also received appreciation from various parties, including the sports community and netizens.

Justin’s achievement at the Thailand SEA Games is one of the important achievements for Indonesian tennis.

In the men’s team final, Justin appeared as the winner for the Red and White team together with Christopher Rungkat, showing solid and consistent performance throughout the tournament.

This gold medal also emphasizes the rise of Indonesian tennis at the Southeast Asian level.

Justin Barki is not a new name in the world of national sports. This athlete, born on May 26 2000, comes from a family that is widely known in the fields of sports and business.

He is the cousin of national racer Sean Gelael, and the grandson of businessman Kiki Barki and the late Dick Gelael.

The family environment was one of the supporting factors in shaping Justin’s disciplined character and competitive mentality from an early age.

Apart from his family background, Justin also has a distinguished academic track record. He is a graduate of Princeton University, United States, majoring in economics.

In the midst of his busy academic schedule, Justin remains consistent in developing his professional career as a tennis player.

From a technical perspective, Justin is known as a left-handed player with a sharp and accurate two-handed backhand. His aggressive but disciplined playing style makes him able to compete at the international level.

He has recorded important achievements on the ITF World Tennis Tour, including winning the M25 level singles title in Hong Kong.

This achievement makes Justin the first young Indonesian tennis player to win the ITF level 25K tournament in the history of the series.

Not only in singles, Justin also excelled in doubles. He has collected a number of ITF titles, including winning the M15 in Singapore with a colleague from the Netherlands, as well as another doubles title at the Harum Energy World Tennis Tour.

The consistency of his achievements at international level has made Justin one of the pillars of the future of Indonesian tennis.

However, off the field, his humble attitude and social awareness are added values ​​that are rarely possessed by young athletes.

Justin Barki’s move to donate the SEA Games gold medal bonus emphasizes that success in sport is not just about medals, rankings or financial prizes.

Achievement can also be a means of making a real impact on society, especially those who are experiencing disaster.

Dedication on the field coupled with social concern makes Justin Barki an inspirational figure, not only for young athletes, but also for the wider community.

It is hoped that this concrete action can foster a spirit of solidarity and empathy in the world of Indonesian sports, that true victory is also measured by contributions to others.