Indonesia Keep Mixed Doubles Hopes Alive at BAC 2026 Despite Mixed Results

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia maintained its presence in the mixed doubles draw at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) in Ningbo, China, with two pairs advancing to the last 16, while others fell early in a day of contrasting results.

Seventh seeds Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu moved into the round of 16 after defeating Hong Kong’s Chan Yin Chak and Ng Tsz Yau 21-9, 15-21, 21-15. Felisha admitted that last year’s semifinal run has brought both expectations and pressure to replicate that success.

“Of course, there is pressure because last year we had a good result here. The challenge is how we can repeat that,” Felisha said in a statement released by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) on Tuesday, April 7, as quoted by Antara.

Jafar/Felisha had reached the semifinals in the previous edition before losing to Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito. In their opening match this year, they dominated the first game but lost control in the second due to a drop in focus and tempo.

“In the second game we loosened up a bit. We were leading but got caught, and then we panicked. When trying to regain the tempo, we rushed and had several miscommunications,” Jafar said.

They recovered in the facing game by regaining their rhythm to secure victory, though both players acknowledged consistency remains a key area for improvement. They will next face the winner between Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron/Cheng Su Yin and South Korea’s Kim Jae Hyeon/Jang Ha Jeong.

Another Indonesian pair, Amri Syahnawi/Nita Violina Marwah, also advanced after a dramatic three-game victory over Japan’s Akira Koga and Natsu Saito, winning 19-21, 21-16, 22-20.

Amri/Nita had to fight back after losing the first game, where they struggled against the Japanese pair’s fast-paced play and trailed 11-5 at the interval before eventually losing 21-19.

They responded strongly in the second game, playing more aggressively and capitalizing on opponents’ errors to force a decider with a 21-16 win.

In the third game, they again faced early pressure but stayed within reach before showing composure in crucial moments to seal a tight 22-20 victory. The result confirmed their place in the round of 16 alongside Jafar/Felisha.

However, Indonesia lost two mixed doubles pairs in the opening round. Adnan Maulana/Indah Cahaya Sari Jamil were beaten by Taiwan’s Ye Hong Wei/Nicole Gonzales Chan 16-21, 18-21, while Bobby Setiabudi/Melati Daeva Oktavianti fell to Thailand’s third seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran 9-21, 14-21.

With these outcomes, Indonesia have two remaining representatives in the mixed doubles competition heading into the round of 16 at the 2026 Asian Championships. ***