While much of the attention going into the night was on 18-year-old home sprinter Lalu Muhammad Zohri, who was seventh in the men’s 100m final, it was Nova who raised the volume in Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium.

The 23-year-old ran a personal best time of 13.33 to finish second behind South Korea’s Jung Hye-lim.

“I went all out,” said Nova, who admitted to carrying a hip flexor injury into the race.

“If I die, I die.”

“Thankfully I won a medal, this is unexpected. Thanks to my parents, to all Indonesians, and to the Indonesian Athletics Federation,” added Nova, who has also competed in the heptathlon in the past.

Indonesian track and field had come into the Games looking to secure at least one medal having last won one with Supriati Sutono’s 5000m gold in 1998.

Now, there is a new national hero.

“Competing in Indonesia is more like motivation than a burden because I feel happy many people came and supported me,” said Nova.

“This silver medal means a lot.”