Indonesia has ended its long wait of 19 years to bring home the Thomas Cup, achieving a 3-0 victory over China in the final.
By
YULIA SAPTHIANI
·4 minutes read
AP/RITZAU SCANPIX/CLAUS FISKER
Players from Indonesia celebrates after winning the Thomas Cup men's team badminton tournament in Aarhus, Denmark, Sunday Oct. 17, 2021.
AARHUS, SUNDAY — Indonesia is again savoring the special moment of becoming the world champion of men’s badminton in the biennial international championship, which had eluded the country for 19 years since it last claimed the title in 2002.
The championship title, which sent players, coaches and team officials into wild celebrations with cheers and tears of elation, was secured on Sunday (17/10/2021) at the Ceres Arena in Aarhus, Denmark.
As soon as Jonatan Christie, who took on Li Shi Feng in the third game, scored his final point for a 21-14, 18-21, 21-14 win to give Indonesia an overall score of 3-0, his teammates and coaches rushed onto the court to swamp him in jubilation.
The champion players consisted of senior shuttlers such as Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan as well as young players, namely Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin. Hendra, as team captain, accepted the Thomas Cup trophy from Badminton World Federation (BWF) president Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen.
The only blemish on Indonesia’s achievement was that the award ceremony was not accompanied by hoisting the Red-and-White flag as the "Indonesia Raya" anthem echoed inside the stadium.
AFP/RITZAU SCANPIX/CLAUS FISKER
The trophy is pictured during the Thomas Cup men's team final between China and Indonesia in Aarhus, Denmark, on October 17, 2021.
This was due to the sanctions the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had imposed on Indonesia for the noncompliance of the National Anti-Doping Agency (LADI) in providing an effective testing program. The Red-and-White was instead replaced with the flag of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI).
However, this did not dampen the celebratory mood of the Indonesian delegation or the citizens who had come to the stadium to support the national team.
Defeating China 3-0 is a great achievement
At home, former national badminton heroes joined the special moment while praising the team for their achievement.
"Extraordinary. Defeating China 3-0 is a great achievement," said national badminton legend Christian Hadinata.
"The moment of togetherness in the diverse NKRI [Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia] through the Thomas Cup is back at last," said Marlev Mainaky, who contributed to the Indonesian team’s triumphs at the Thomas Cup in 1998, 2000 and 2002.
After 2002, Indonesia saw a drop in performance, which Christian attributed to an imbalance in the singles events. Indonesia did reach the final twice, only to end with disappointment, losing 0-3 to China in 2010 and 2-3 to Denmark in 2016.
Proving ourselves
AFP/CLAUS FISKER/RITZAU SCANPIX
Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting celebrates after winning his men's single match against China's Lu Guang Zu in the Thomas Cup men's team final match between China and Indonesia in Aarhus, Denmark, on October 17, 2021.
Sunday’s victory saw Indonesia living up to its status as the tournament’s top seed. Yet, the road to the trophy podium was fraught with difficult encounters. The Red-and-White squad took straight wins in the group stage but only after laboring against their opponents, with Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Jonatan Christie being somewhat inconsistent in their games. The team improved their performance in the knockout stage to scrape through to the final.
The prospects of Indonesia winning the trophy built up, given that China’s roster on did not include Shi Yuqi, its best hope in the men's singles.
Shi was nursing an injury he had gotten during his match against Japan’s Kento Momota in the semifinal against Japan. The men's doubles world No. 4, Li Junhui/Liu Yuchen, was also out.
Indonesia managed to capitalize on the situation. Anthony came back from one game down to beat Lu Guangzou 18-21, 21-14, 21-16. "Entering the second game, I just tried to release myself and enjoy the game. In the end, it worked," he said.
Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto proved they could be depended on to take on the starting role in a decisive encounter, beating He Ji Ting/Zhao Hao Dong, 21-12, 21-19 to earn Indonesia a 2-0 lead.
“We proved that we deserved to be the backbone of the Indonesian team. The team’s doubles pairs are not just Kevin/Marcus and Hendra/Ahsan. We are happy that we were able to contribute a win," Fajar said, adding that playing in the Thomas Cup had been a childhood dream.
We proved that we deserved to be the backbone of the Indonesian team.
Fajar/Rian had been selected to play in the final over the team’s main doubles pair Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo/Marcus Fernaldi Gideon. Coach Herry Iman Pierngadi said that Marcus was not at his peak fitness. Marcus was said to be so exhausted that he was deemed physically unfit for the task.
The third game saw a tight tussle between Jonatan and Li Shi Feng, with each taking one of the first two serves. At one point, they reached a 13-13 tie in the third game, after which Jonatan was able to ramp up his pace to secure a 21-14, 18-21, 21-14 victory and the return of the Thomas Cup to Indonesia.
