RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - After a challenging European tour, Indonesian mixed doubles duo Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu are taking a measured approach as they prepare for the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships (BAC).

Felisha admitted their performances in Europe were below expectations, partly due to her ongoing recovery from an elbow injury sustained at the Indonesia Masters in January.

“The evaluation from the European tour was quite extensive. There are many aspects we need to improve because the results were not optimal," Felisha said at the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) National Training Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

"That’s what we must fix to get back to our best form, or even better,” she added.

During the European circuit, the pair exited in the second round of the All England Super 1000 and reached the quarterfinals of the Swiss Open Super 300. Felisha explained that her injury had significantly affected her play.

“In the Indonesia Masters semifinal, my arm was already in severe pain, even lifting it was difficult. But because of responsibility, I tried to play as best as I could,” she recalled.

She took three weeks off to rest and focused only on lower-body conditioning before returning to full training. Even then, she admitted to feeling hesitant when hitting the shuttle. “At first, I was afraid to hit because the pain was still there, so the technique wasn’t optimal. But now it’s much better and manageable,” she said.

Looking ahead to the Asian Championships, Felisha believes their preparations are stronger than before the European tour, though improvements are still needed. “Preparation now is better. We still have a few days of training, hopefully we can fix the shortcomings,” she noted.

Their target is to at least match last year’s semifinal finish, though they prefer to focus on each match step by step. “The minimum target is not to drop below our previous result. But given our recent performance, we want to take it one match at a time to play better,” she added.

Last year, Jafar/Felisha reached the semifinals before losing to Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa/Natsu Saito.

Jafar acknowledged the pressure but sees it as motivation. “Pressure is always there, especially when previous results weren’t good. But we’re focusing on improving our chemistry and communication on court,” he said.

He also warned that early-round opponents will be tough, including their first match against Taiwan’s Ye Hong Wei/Nicole Gonzales Chan. “The opening rounds won’t be easy. So, we’re focusing on one match at a time,” Jafar explained.

He added that the key for them is covering each other’s weaknesses. “We must be more solid and cover each other better on court,” he said.

With a realistic mindset and renewed preparation, the Indonesian pair hopes to regain momentum and deliver a stronger performance at the continental stage. ***