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mid the gloomy prospects for the country’s badminton men’s singles, Indonesia’s men’s doubles looks promising, partly because of the impressive performance of young pair Angga Pratama and Rian Agung Saputra.

The pair have wasted no time proving that they are able to challenge the world, with the 2012 London Olympics their target.

Twenty-one-year-old Rian and 20-year-old Angga began the qualifying stage of the Indonesia Open Super Series Premier by shocking world number three Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae from South Korea, the winners of the Korean Open Super Series Premier this January.  

Ranked 35 in the world, the emerging Indonesian duo, who were also finalists at the recent India Open Super Series, straightforwardly ruined the Koreans 21-17, 21-17 in the second round of the US$600,000 badminton competition on Thursday.  

Their triumph ensured a ticket to the quarterfinals on Friday against Chai Biao and Guo Zhengdong of China.

“Today we played good. Tomorrow we must play better. We will stay focused and maintain [a positive] mentality and fitness for the next matches,” Rian said.

“It is a good thing that Angga and Rian can fully developed their offensive throughout the match just now. I see that the Koreans, especially Yong-dae , appeared pressured and unable to play their best game,” said Herry IP, the national men’s doubles coach.

“This year, there are 22 tournaments already listed on our agenda to collect Olympics points,” said Rian, who expressed the pair’s determination to qualify for next year’s Olympics.  He has had a partnership with Angga since 2009.

At the national level, Angga and Rian rank fourth, below world number seven pair Markis and Hendra, world number eight pair Alvent Hendra AG and world number 10 pair Ahsan and Bona.

The pair have been rocketing in the Badminton World Federation rankings in the past year: from 179 in April of last year to 35 this month.

Herry IP acknowledged that the young pair had the likeliest chance to become the next Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan one day. “I have joined the national camp the past four months. I hope to see them among the world ranked players within the next two years.”

Olympic champions Kido and Setiawan were also through to the quarterfinals.

Optimistic that Angga and Rian would be ready for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Herry said the pair would need some time to close ranks with their seniors M Ahsan and Bona Septano, Alvent Yulianto and Hendra AG, as well as Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan.

“If within this short period of time they can steadily improve their performance, [the 2012 Olympics] is not impossible,” said Herry, citing his plan to send the young pair to as many Super Series and Grand Prix level tournaments for Olympics points.  

— JP/Agnes Winarti