Alwi Farhan's Debut at the World Badminton Championships

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Two years after becoming the junior world champion, Alwi Farhan has the opportunity to compete in the highest individual event in badminton, the World Championship. He will appear in Paris, France, from August 25 to 31, 2025, with experience competing in BWF World Tour tournaments, including when facing top athletes from around the world.

The 20-year-old male singles player has added to Indonesia's representatives who qualified for the World Championship after receiving an invitation from BWF on Friday (8/8/2025). Alwi becomes the 12th representative of "Merah Putih" to receive an invitation and will join his two seniors in men's singles, namely Jonatan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting.

Initially, Alwi was placed on the list of the eighth reserve players for the men's singles. However, regulations regarding the quota of representatives from each country based on rankings and the withdrawal of certain athletes allowed Alwi to rise in position, thus earning the right to compete in Paris.

An invitation was extended to Alwi after two-time world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Viktor Axelsen, withdrew. Axelsen announced his withdrawal through his Instagram account on Thursday, as he still requires time to recover from a back injury.

Alhamdulillah, I am very happy. I did not expect to be able to compete in the World Championship. I am very enthusiastic because this is the first time I have qualified, but I still need to control my feelings.

In 2025, the injury caused him to miss tournaments since his last defeat in the first round of the All England in March. This was only the fourth tournament for Axelsen after the Malaysia Open, India Open, and Germany Open. With his absence from many championships, the Danish athlete, who has 27 BWF World Tour titles, is currently ranked 18th in the world, down from fourth place at the beginning of 2025.

Axelsen's withdrawal presents an opportunity for Alwi. After becoming the junior world champion in 2023, the time has come for Alwi to test his abilities at a higher level. His competitors are not athletes of the same age (19 years and under) with similar experience, but rather seasoned seniors with extensive experience. Among them are the defending champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Shi Yu Qi, and Anders Antonsen.

"Thank God, I am very happy. I did not expect to be able to compete in the World Championship. I am very enthusiastic because this is the first time I have qualified, but I still need to control my feelings," said Alwi.

The only son ranked 23rd in the world felt relieved when he received the decision to compete in the World Championship, allowing him to set his focus and targets. "In the past few days, it was still uncertain whether I could play or not. Now it has been decided, and I have enough time for preparation," he said.

Alwi will bring all his experiences from rising through the junior levels to make his debut in the World Championship. One of the valuable moments for him was when he won his first title from the BWF World Tour, which was at the Macau Open Super 300, from July 29 to August 3.

Alwi emerged as the champion with an increasingly solid performance in each round. Out of five rounds, he only played three games when facing his compatriot, Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah, in the second round. Another player he defeated was the semifinalist of the 2021 World Championship from India, Lakhsya Sen, in the semifinals.

The title is the result of Alwi's efforts in managing thoughts and emotions. "In Macau, I was able to manage my emotions. I am a player who sometimes has excessive ambition. I was advised by my coach to learn to control that, and I was able to do it in Macau," said Alwi, who was met after practice on Wednesday morning until noon.

The championship title, Alwi stated, is also a result of what he learned when meeting top athletes at other tournaments. At the China Open, a week before the Macau Open, Alwi had his first opportunity to compete against Vitidsarn, the world number one in men's singles. He lost but managed to push the Thai player to play three games, with scores of 21-10, 15-21, 18-21.

This year, Alwi played against Antonsen with one win and one loss. He also has experience facing Axelsen in the second round of the German Open.

From those matches, Alwi learned to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each opponent at a higher level. He endeavored to study their mindset and playing style in facing every pressure. After that lesson resulted in a championship title in Macau, Alwi received the opportunity to apply it at a higher level, namely the World Championship. "I will make the most of this opportunity and gain as much experience as possible," he said.

In addition to three male singles players, the singles category will be represented by Gregoria Mariska Tunjung and Putri Kusuma Wardani in the women's sector. For Gregoria, the World Championship marks her third event since returning to tournaments after being absent from mid-April to mid-July. The two previous tournaments she participated in were the Japan Open and the China Open.

Gregoria was absent from the tournament due to experiencing vertigo, which she felt again after losing to Han Yue in the quarterfinals of the China Open, held from July 22 to 27. After leaving the court, Gregoria vomited as a result of feeling a loss of balance.

After training at the national training center in Cipayung, Jakarta, on Wednesday, the bronze medalist of the Paris 2024 Olympics shared the possible cause of his vertigo. "It seems to be due to the spotlight that I saw on one side of the field. When I looked at that light, I felt dizzy. I have also experienced dizziness when looking at glaring lights in other places," he said.

Based on that experience and after consulting with a doctor upon returning from China, Gregoria will learn to anticipate it by being more sensitive in assessing the conditions at the competition venue. "I need to pay more attention to the situation and conditions in detail. This way, I can choose the side of the competition court that is likely to be comfortable for me," Gregoria said about what she will do at the World Championship.

Indonesia's Representative at the 2025 Badminton World Championship

Men's Singles

1.     Jonathan Christie

2.     Anthony Sinisuka Ginting

3.     Alwi Farhan

Women's singles

1.     Gregoria Mariska Tunjung

2.     Princess Kusuma Wardani

Men's Doubles

1.     Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto

2.     Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Mohamamd Reza Pahlevi Isfahani

3.     Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana

Women's doubles

1.     Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi

2.     Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti/Lanny Tria Mayasari

Mixed doubles

1.     Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu

2.     Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari