Good Results for the Paris Olympics

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Indonesian men's singles badminton player, Jonatan Christie competes against fellow Indonesian player, Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in the final of the 2023 Daihatsu Indonesia Masters Tournament at Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Jakarta, Sunday (29/1/2023). Jonathan won 21-15, 21-13.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The all-Indonesian final in the men's singles at the Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2023 badminton tournament inspired Jonatan Christie and Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo to continue to compete at a high level. The competitive spirit is very important in seeking tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The same spirit was also seen in the young doubles Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin, who also won the trophy.

“In the future we have to create more moments like this. I hope we can continue to work hard and create history like this," said Jonatan after winning the final match, on Sunday (29/1/2023), at the Istora Stadium, Jakarta.

Now, they have to compete in a number of tournaments ahead before entering the point calculation period for the 2024 Paris Olympics, from May 2023 to April 2024. Indonesia has the four best men's singles, namely Jonathan, Chico, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Shesar Hiren Rhustavito.

However, each country can only send two representatives from among those in the top 16 in Olympic points. If there are three or more representatives in the top 16, only two representatives must be selected.

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The men's singles coach, Irwansyah, must re-galvanize the country’s top singles to play consistently. The fighting mentality of the four players also needs to be nurtured so that they can compete sportively to win two Olympic tickets.

“Everyone is competing to be the best for themselves. However, the competition among them is also good, sporty; so, everyone is pushing each other. This is good for them to compete toward the Olympics positively," said Irwansyah.

Irwansyah targets every player to win in a bigger tournament than the Indonesia Masters Super 500. Furthermore, Chico and Anthony will play for the Indonesian team at the Mixed Team Asia Badminton Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 14-19 February 2023.

”I want them to win many more, so preparation and training must always be good by maintaining good conditions, food and rest. God willing, there will be many titles this year. Our players are of an extraordinary level," said Irwansyah.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Indonesian men's singles badminton player, Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo (left), coaches Irwansyah (center) and Jonatan Christie (right), pose for a photo on the podium of honor in the final of the 2023 Daihatsu Indonesia Masters Tournament at Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Jakarta, Sunday (29 /1/2023).

The spirit to develop and achieve consistent performance at a high level was also seen with Leo/Daniel, who continued the tradition of winning the men's doubles at the Indonesia Masters. When their seniors, such as Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan, Bagas Maulana/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Marcus Fernald Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, failed, they became surprise champions.

Leo/Daniel followed Jonatan to become the champion after winning convincingly over the Chinese pair, Ji Ting He/Hao Dong Shou, 21-17, 21-16.

”This title motivates us to play better and be consistent. The previous two tournaments, right, the results were not so good; so, we have to be better and try to keep trying," said Daniel.

Men's doubles coach Herry Iman Pierngadi assessed that Leo/Daniel's performance still needed to be improved, especially in focus and concentration. The other men's doubles, Bagas/Fikri, Pram/Yere and Fajar/Rian also showed an improvement. Their consistency in playing at a high level is crucial for collecting points for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Currently, Fajar/Rian has the most consistent performance in top-level competition and is ranked first in the world. Bagas/Fikri ranked 12th, Leo/Daniel in 17^th position, Marcus/Kevin in 8^th position and Pramudya/Yeremia in the 20^th rank. Pramudya/Yeremia's rankings plummeted due to Jeremiah's knee injury, which kept him out for several months.

“Counting the points for the Olympics will begin only in May, so we can't say who [will be] A, B, C [who will pass]. The important thing is, in the men's doubles, we will send everyone. They compete in a fair, open manner to qualify for the Olympics. It is an open competition," said Herry.

Herry also said that all pairs had the same opportunities, including Leo/Daniel, who had just won the 2023 Indonesia Masters. Herry acknowledged that he did not have a special program for Olympic qualification.

“There is no [special program]. Training and in competition remain the same. So, we have to practice more on concentration by participating in more matches," said Herry.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Indonesian men's doubles badminton player, Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin competes against Chinese players, He Ji Ting/Zhou Hao Dong, in the final of the 2023 Daihatsu Indonesia Masters Tournament at Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Jakarta, Sunday (29/1/2023) . Leo/Daniel won 21-17, 21-16.

Men's singles competition

Jojo, as Jonathan is called, won the Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2023 BWF World Tour Super 500 after defeating Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo with a score of 21-15, 21-13, in 44 minutes. The two of them played casually to entertain badminton fans who had been waiting for 15 years for All Indonesian Final in men’s single category in Jakarta.

When entering the field, Jonathan and Chico smiled and joked at each other several times, which also entertained the crowds in the Istora stadium. However, their faces turned serious when Jonathan hit the first serve. They play fast and attack each other.

Jonathan, who is ranked third in the world, was still too strong for Chico, ranked 23rd in the world. Chico's ability to hold back Jonatan's smash and drive only lasted up to the seventh point. After that Jonathan continued to lead until closing the first game, 21-15.

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In the second game, after the seventh point, Chico was unable to overcome Jonathan's game. The acceleration of this badminton player from Papua slowed down and he failed to reach Jonatan's cross-net game.

"Finally, after 15 years, at a moment like this, we can create the All Indonesian Final. Maybe this is one of the fruits of our patience: the fruit of calm, and the fruit of the coach's hard work, as well as the men's singles team who always work hard every day,” said Jonathan, who won the BWF Super 500 title for the first time.

Chico was not disappointed. For him, being able to reach the final at the Istora stadium was a priceless honor. “I am very grateful to be able to experience the final at Istora. It's a valuable experience. In the future I want to give the best,” said Chico.

The Chinese pair, Liu Sheng Shu/Zhang Shu Xian, won the women's doubles after defeating the Japanese pair, Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota. In women's singles, An Se-young (South Korea) became the champion after beating Caroline Marin (Spain). The mixed doubles title was won by Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping from China. (Z05)

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.