Jonatan's Enthusiasm for Alwi and Zaki in the Sudirman Cup

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The men's singles sector of the Indonesian team for the Sudirman Cup is reinforced by a combination of three senior and junior players. They are enthusiastic about each other's presence to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to them.

The three men's singles players are Jonatan Christie, Alwi Farhan, and Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah. They and 17 other athletes will be members of the Indonesian team for the championship that will take place in Xiamen, China, from April 27 to May 4, 2025.

With a mixed team championship format, the Sudirman Cup features men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles in each encounter between two teams. The competition begins with a qualifying phase involving 16 teams divided into four groups using a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group are entitled to advance to the quarter-finals.

Based on the draw held on March 13, Indonesia is in a tough competition in Group D alongside Denmark, India, and England. The host nation, which is also the defending champion, China, will compete against Thailand, Hong Kong, and Algeria.

Jonatan will be the most senior men's singles player for Indonesia. The 27-year-old athlete is representing Indonesia in the Sudirman Cup for the sixth time since his debut in Dongguan, China, in 2015.

Without Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, who is in recovery from a right shoulder injury, the Indonesian Badminton Association (PP PBSI) has registered two young athletes to accompany Jonatan, namely 19-year-old Alwi and 17-year-old Zaki.

Alwi, who is ranked 37th in the world at the time of the registration of athletes for the Sudirman Cup and has risen to the 33rd position since April 15, has become Indonesia's third men's singles player. He has displaced his senior, Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.

Zaki, ranked 77th, is positioned below Chico (39) and Yohanes Saut Marcellyno (59). However, the PP PBSI has given Zaki the opportunity based on the development of his performance.

In 2024, he became a finalist in the Jaya Raya Grand Prix Development Tournament and a semifinalist in the World Championship at the junior level, as well as winning the Indonesia Masters Super 100. In 2025, Zaki won the Singapore International Challenge after reaching the second round of the Thailand Masters Super 300 as a qualifying player.

For Zaki, the 2025 Sudirman Cup will mark his debut in a team championship at a higher level than junior events. Meanwhile, Alwi has experience representing the Red and White team in the 2024 Thomas Cup Championship and the 2025 Asia Mixed Team Championship.

In the Thomas Cup, Alwi was the fourth singles player, following Anthony, Jonatan, and Chico. He played once in the group stage. Meanwhile, when he helped the team become the champion of the mixed team Asia, Alwi was the first men's singles player as Indonesia fielded a backup squad.

Although both of his teammates have limited experience in world-level team events, Jonatan is pleased with the presence of Alwi and Zaki. "I am happy to have Alwi and Ubed (Zaki's nickname). That is indeed necessary," said Jonatan after practice at the badminton training center in Cipayung, Jakarta, Wednesday (16/4/2025).

The sixth-ranked men's singles player has indeed repeatedly voiced his concerns regarding the regeneration of men's singles players. Moreover, there is a significant gap between him and Anthony compared to their "younger siblings."

The selection of Alwi and Zaki reminds Jonatan of the Sudirman Cup Championship moment in Dongguan, China, in 2015. All male singles in the team were aged 17-19, including Jonatan, who was 17 years old. The other two were Firman Abdul Kholik (17) and Ihsan Maulana Mustofa (19). Meanwhile, other sectors were reinforced by senior players, such as Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan, Greysia Polii/Nitya Krishinda Maheswari, and Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir. At that time, Indonesia reached the semifinals.

"Younger players indeed need to be given opportunities to gain experience. Do not focus on the results later because they need to go through a process. They will certainly gain a lot of experience from the Sudirman Cup," said Jonatan.

The athlete, who is always fielded in every Sudirman Cup, continued that experience can be gained even without the opportunity to play. "Young athletes can gain experience by observing their seniors, for example, from their playing style and daily activities during the championship. When given the chance to play, they can learn how to approach team matches," said the 27-year-old athlete.

Being entrusted as members of the Sudirman Cup team, Alwi and Zaki are very enthusiastic. "I was informed about my inclusion in the Sudirman Cup last week, and of course, I am happy to be given this opportunity," said Zaki.

Alwi expressed a similar sentiment. From his experience as part of the 2024 Thomas Cup team, Alwi could feel the atmosphere within the world-level team championship.

"His responsibility is greater compared to participating in individual championships because the athlete competes for the team, for Indonesia. In that situation, I also learned to remain focused on myself in order to perform well," he stated.

For Jonatan and Alwi, the Sudirman Cup will be undertaken after they compete in the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, from April 8 to 13. Thus, the preparation period will not be very long. Training at the national training center will take place for about a week before the Indonesian team departs for Xiamen on April 24.

In that short period, the main target of the training is to maintain physical condition and improve technical factors based on performance in the previous championship. Additionally, both the athletes and the men's singles coach must adapt to various aspects.

This week's training marks the first opportunity for Jonatan and his colleagues in the main men's singles national training under coach Indra Widjaja. Indra, who was initially assigned as the men's singles coach for the preliminary national training by PBSI for the 2024-2028 period, has been requested to coach the more senior athletes, replacing Mulyo Handoyo.

The change was decided on April 8 after Mulyo's role as the head coach of the men's team was relinquished due to his health condition. Mulyo will only carry out his duties as the coaching coordinator.

The change of the men's singles coach, from Irwansyah (currently coaching in India) to Mulyo, and then replaced by Indra, occurred in just about four months. This presents a homework assignment for the athletes and coaches to adapt to one another.

As Jonatan stated, in addition to the training program, each person's way of communicating is different, and this must be understood by both parties to avoid misunderstandings. "Whenever there is a new coach, there is always a need to adapt again. When I say A, the interpretation by each coach may not be the same. Their way of conveying something or when assisting on the field is also different. Therefore, it takes time to adapt to each other," said Jonatan.