Indonesian Shuttlers Dejan/Apriyani Win Pontianak International Challenge 2026

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesian mixed doubles pair Dejan Ferdinansyah/Apriyani Rahayu won the Pontianak International Challenge 2026 after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Sheng‑Ming Lin/Liang Ching Sun 19–21, 27–25, 21–19.

The final was held at Terpadu Sports Hall, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Sunday, August 29, 2026, and lasted 1 hour and 11 minutes.

After the match, Dejan said the victory was valuable for the pair as they begin building trust and confidence in each other.

“Alhamdulillah, I am very happy and grateful that we could win the title here. This can be a starting point for us, as we build trust and confidence in each other,” Dejan said.

“It is an important title because it is not about the level but about the process. We are working toward a higher level, and hopefully this will be the first step,” he added.

Regarding their performance, Dejan said their opponents played very well and were physically strong. He noted that Sheng‑Ming Lin was clever in directing the shuttlecock into difficult positions for them.

“Our opponents played very well. They were strong and had powerful shots. The male player was clever at directing the shuttlecock, which often put us in uncomfortable positions. Thankfully, toward the end we found the right formula to counter them,” he explained.

Echoing Dejan, Apriyani expressed her gratitude to Dejan, the coaches, and her mixed doubles teammates. She hoped the victory would serve as a foundation for Indonesia’s mixed doubles sector to rise again.

“Thank you to Dejan and our coaching team, as well as our mixed doubles teammates who have helped us, especially me, as I have just moved to mixed doubles. Hopefully, this will be a foundation for all of us in the mixed doubles sector to rise again and work even harder going forward,” Apriyani said.

“The match was not easy at all. The intensity was very high, and we were under constant pressure, but we kept trying to raise the intensity. Even though we were nervous and tense, we had to find a way to overcome it,” she said.

Apriyani also thanked the people of Pontianak who attended the match. “Thank you to the people of Pontianak who came to the venue. The roar and atmosphere were incredible. That support gave us extra energy to keep fighting,” she concluded. (Diffa Sephiawardhani)