IO – Aprilia Santini Manganang became a trending topic this week. The Indonesian women’s volleyball national team player was officially declared a man. Manganang, who is also a second sergeant in the Army Women’s Corps, has undergone an examination at the Army Central Hospital and has been officially designated a man.
Army Chief of Staff General TNI Andika Perkasa received information from the commander where Aprilia’s unit was assigned. When examined at the Robert Wolter Monginsidi Army Hospital in Manado, there were indications that Aprilia was a man.
However, due to limited equipment at the hospital, Aprilia was taken to the Gatot Subroto Army Central Hospital, Jakarta, to carry out further checks.
“Today I want to convey information about one of the Army soldiers, namely Second Sergeant Aprilia Santini Manganang. Aprilia Manganang is not as lucky as all of us. So when she was born, this child had abnormalities in the reproductive system. In health terminology it is called Hypospadias,” said Andika. Hypospadias is a disorder in which the urethra is located abnormally in male babies. This condition is a congenital abnormality from birth.
In normal conditions, the urethra is located just at the tip of the penis. But in babies with hypospadias, the urethra is at the bottom of the penis. This made Aprilia obtain female status from birth from a hospital in her area.
“From the results of the examination, it turns out that from the urological examination, Sergeant Manganang has more male sex organs, he does not even have female internal organs,” Andika added.
“Then the hormonal tests were giving the same results. Hormones were normal. The hormone testosterone was also measured, it was found out Sergeant Manganang has more hormon
al levels that fall into the normal male category. MRI radiological examinations also reveal the same.”
Aprilia was relieved by the results of the examination. “This is a moment that I have been waiting for, I am really happy. Praise the Lord, I can get through this, I thank you all to help me to find myself,” said Aprilia Manganang through a virtual press conference, Tuesday, March 9.
“I thank the doctors who have helped me, I am very happy, I have been waiting for 28 years and finally this year it was achieved.”
Aprilia’s legal status will also change and is currently under court proceedings. Aprilia has declared her resignation from volleyball on September 10. “On this occasion, I will tell Indonesian volleyball lovers that I am Aprilia Manganang have decided to resign from the world of volleyball,” said the athlete born in Tahuna, April 27, 1992, on his Instagram account.
“I made this decision, because I want to live a better life, want to reach the truth in my heart peacefully. Therefore, this is the best decision for me.”
Aprilia is a mainstay of the Indonesian national team. He was even selected as the best player in the 2019 Proliga Volleyball Competition.
Aprilia’s gender polemic started since she became a volleyball athlete in 2011. When she passed the gender test to take part in the 2013 SEA Games, the polemic about her in the national volleyball competition subsided.
Aprilia then led the Jakarta Electric PLN women’s team to become the champion of the Proliga in 2015, 2016, and 2017. In 2019 she strengthened Jakarta PGN Popsivo Polwan and became champion again. Aprilia also played in the Thai Volleyball League to strengthen the Generali Supreme Chonburi-E Tech team in 2019 and became a champion.
Together with the Indonesian national team, Aprilia won a bronze medal in the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar and the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore. Then he won a silver medal at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately, during preparation for the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, Aprilia suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the national team training camp. (rp)