Badminton's Momentum to Rise

Indonesian badminton fans will have to wait until more than halfway through 2025 before the Red and White shuttlers achieve success in high-level tournaments on the BWF World Tour calendar. This success was attained through the efforts of the men's doubles pair Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the final of the China Open last weekend, which was the last Super 1000 level tournament of the year.

Out of 16 BWF World Tour tournaments (Super 300, 500, 750, and 1000) held earlier this year, or a maximum potential of 80 championship titles, the Cipayung team has only secured two titles at the Super 300 level. The women's doubles pair Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti/Lanny Tria Mayasari won the Thailand Masters on February 2, and the mixed doubles pair Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu achieved victory at the Taiwan Open on May 11.

Compare that to China, which has won 23 titles up to the China Open, with South Korea having 16, followed by Thailand (12), Japan (8), and Malaysia (6). China also dominates the four prestigious Super 1000 level tournaments (Malaysia Open, All England, Indonesia Open, and China Open), with eight titles, followed by South Korea with six (Kompas.id, 27/7/2025).

The success of Fajar/Fikri in Changzhou is worthy of gratitude. Badminton is a source of pride for Indonesia, boasting a long history of achievements at the world level. Ironically, we cannot expect much from the attractive play of Fajar/Fikri. The two are paired temporarily due to their partners' absence. Fajar will reunite with Rian Ardianto at the World Championship next month, while Fikri is waiting for Daniel Marthin to recover from knee surgery.

Nevertheless, this result is a drop of dew in the midst of the drought of Indonesia's badminton achievements. In recent years, championship titles, which serve as indicators of success, have become increasingly difficult to attain. This trend is not only evident in the BWF World Tour tournaments that take place throughout the year, but similar outcomes are also observed in major events such as the Olympics, World Championships, and team competitions like the Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, and Sudirman Cup.

While Indonesia is struggling, competing countries continue to excel. China seems to never run out of top players. Meanwhile, the leading players from South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand have been able to perform consistently throughout the season. Take, for example, the South Korean women's singles player, An Se-young, who has already won six BWF World Tour titles this year.

The success of Fajar/Fikri serves as a momentum for PBSI to motivate senior players to achieve excellence again, in addition to scouting new talents. Hopes are pinned on young players such as Jafar/Felisha, Putri Kusuma Wardani, and Alwi Farhan, who need to be given more opportunities to compete. In a state of decline, there is no other way but to rise and return to the path of achievement.