Fajar/Fikri will be paired at the China Masters and Korea Open

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – After the women's doubles, the men's doubles sector of the national badminton training center is utilizing the remainder of this year to find a solid partnership to compete at the elite level in 2026 and beyond. One formation whose strength will be monitored is the pair that has made a surprise, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.

Fajar/Fikri won the last Super 1000 level tournament in 2024, the China Open, held in Changzhou from July 22 to 27. On their way to the championship podium, they defeated top world pairs, including the world number one and two men's doubles, Seo Seung-jae/Kim Won-ho (South Korea) and Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia).

Initially, Fajar/Fikri were scheduled to compete in the China Open and Japan Open the week prior, as their respective partners were absent from the tournament. Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Fajar's partner) was unable to compete due to awaiting the birth of his first child, while Fajar, being one of the men's doubles ranked in the top ten in the world by the end of 2024, had obligations to participate in the Super 1000 tournament.

Therefore, Fajar is paired with Fikri, whose partner, Daniel Marthin, is still recovering from a left knee injury. Daniel, who last competed in the Sudirman Cup championship in May, is expected to be able to compete again in January 2026.

Before Fajar/Fikri compete in Japan and China, the men's doubles coach and the management of development and achievement will find a partner for Fikri from the primary training center. However, the good performance of Fajar/Fikri has raised another option to continue their collaboration.

The option was decided when PP PBSI announced that Fajar/Fikri would compete in the China Masters Super 750 (16-21 September) and the Korea Open Super 500 (23-28 September). Preparations for the tournaments, which are part of the Asia Tour, will be conducted after the World Championship in Paris, France, from 25-31 August.

At the largest individual championship in 2025, Fajar will be one of the men's doubles representatives alongside Rian. They are one of the Indonesian pairs that qualified based on the BWF ranking, alongside Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Mohammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani and Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana.

With the continuation of the Fajar/Fikri duo, Rian has gained a new partner, namely Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan. Previously, Yeremia was paired with the young athlete, Rahmat Hidayat, but their performance did not improve. Since partnering in 2024, they have only managed to win the Super 100 level tournament, namely the Indonesia Masters in 2024. At a higher level, their best result was reaching the quarter-finals of the Taiwan Open Super 500 in 2025.

Men's doubles coach Antonius Budi Ariantho explained that he wanted to see Fajar/Fikri consistently compete at a high level after winning the China Open. They made life difficult for every opponent, despite playing the same role as their regular partners: playmakers in the front court. Fajar and Fikri's speed at the net prevented their opponents from developing their game.

Fikri, when met at the national training center last week, stated that he was greatly assisted by the input from Fajar, who is more experienced, allowing them to work well together despite both being forwards.

If Fajar/Fikri can consistently play their game, it is possible that they can become a regular, as will other pairs who can show positive results.

However, Fikri mentioned another factor that benefited him and Fajar in China, namely the relatively strong wind. They took advantage of this condition by directly cutting the opponent's shots near the net.

Fikri stated that if they play under different conditions, they must be able to adapt to those circumstances. Opponents will also be more vigilant after observing the performance of Fajar/Fikri at the China Open. Nevertheless, Fikri expressed readiness to partner with anyone.

"If Fajar/Fikri can maintain their performance consistently, there is a possibility they could be patented, as well as other pairs that can demonstrate positive results," said Antonius.

The coach will monitor the collaboration of Fajar/Fikri until the end of 2025, after which he will determine the most potential pair to compete at the top level in the following year. In 2027, these players will face the qualification period for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Meanwhile, for Rian/Yeremia, Antonius will monitor their performance at the China Masters and the Korea Open. After that, Rahmat may be reinstated.

"We will test these pairs while waiting for Daniel's recovery. Therefore, I will look for and seek the best formula for the remainder of this year," said Antonius.

Last week, the women's doubles coach altered the formation of eight main national training athletes, including reinstating the duo of Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti. Additionally, the reshuffling of other pairs resulted in new duos, namely Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi/Lanny Tria Mayasari, Rachel Allessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum, and Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Meilysa Trias Puspitasari.