Ricky Soebagdja, the team manager and Head of Coaching and Achievement Division of PBSI, stated that the young players who made their debut in the 2024 Thomas-Uber Cup are the new hope for Indonesian badminton. This comes after several debutant athletes showcased their skills in the team event held in Chengdu, China. Some of them include men’s singles player Alwi Farhan, and women’s doubles pair Meilysa Trias Puspitasari/Rachel Allessya Rose who performed well in the first group stage match on Saturday (27/4).
Alwi, who played as the third men’s singles player, faced England’s representative Cholan Kayan and won with a score of 21-15, 21-12. Ricky praised Alwi for showing good mental strength in his debut match in the Thomas Cup.
“Alwi’s performance yesterday was quite good in my opinion. I saw that he was able to handle the nervousness and pressure on the court in a team event like this,” said Ricky. “He looked very comfortable controlling the game despite having some areas to improve. But at such a young age, it’s remarkable that he seized the opportunity given. This is a good initial step to boost his confidence for the future,” he added.
In addition to Alwi, Ricky also highlighted the performance of Meilysa/Rachel in their victory against the 45th-ranked Hong Kong pair Lui Lok Lok/Ng Wing Yung.
Rachel (born in 2004) and Trias (born in 2004) who are currently ranked 34th in the world, won in rubber game with a score of 21-16, 20-22, 21-18, contributing the fourth point to Indonesia’s 5-0 win in the Uber Cup team event.
“They showed an incredible display of skills to win the match. It’s not easy for young players to compete in a team event like this but they managed to handle the pressure. However, there are still aspects that the coaching staff needs to evaluate,” Ricky explained.
The Uber Indonesia team mostly consists of young players. PBSI also fielded Komang Ayu Cahya Dewi (born in 2002), Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo (born in 2004), and Ruzana (born in 2005) to collaborate with senior players like Gregoria Mariska Tunjung and Apriyani Rahayu.
“PBSI always provides opportunities for talented and potential young players to join the Thomas and Uber Cup teams. The goal is to give them valuable experience and exposure for their future development,” Ricky said.
Source: Antara News, Copyright © ANTARA 2024
