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Young Mainakys hope to follow in badminton family’s footsteps
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Lyanny Alessandra Mainaky (left) and her brother Yehezkiel Fritz Mainaky speak to the press after losing a badminton doubles match against Danish pair Kim Astrup and Line Kjaersfeldt at the 2016 BCA Indonesia Open Super Series Premier championship in Senayan on Monday. (JP/Callistasia Wijaya)
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ibling shuttlers Lyanny Alessandra Mainaky, 19, and Yehezkiel Fritz Mainaky, 16, drew the attention of badminton supporters in the qualifying rounds of the 2016 BCA Indonesia Open Super Series Premier championship on Monday because of their family name.
Lyanny and Yehezkiel may have prompted badminton lovers to recall the heyday of the Mainaky brothers back in the 1990s. Their father, Rionny Frederik Lambertus Mainaky, is a former Indonesian badminton player who is now a coach for Japan’s national team.
Their uncle, Richard Leonard Mainaky, is known as a specialist mixed doubles coach for the national team, and led players to victory in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, World Championships in 2005 and 2007 and the 2012 All England championship. Two of Rionny and Richard's other brothers are Marleve Mario Mainaky and Karel Leopold Mainaky.
Meanwhile, Rexy Ronald Mainaky, apparently the most successful of the Mainaky brothers, paired with Ricky Subagja to become a strong men’s doubles team, winning the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, World Championships in 1995, Asian Games in 1994 and 1998 and All England tournaments in 1995 and 1996.
On Monday, Lyanny won her first qualifying match against fellow Indonesian shuttler Wulan Cahya Utami Sukoputri, 22-20, 18-21, 21-16, during the championship held at the Istora indoor stadium in Senayan.
Unfortunately, when Lyanny and Yehezkiel paired up in the mixed doubles, they lost to Danish duo Kim Astrup and Line Kjaersfeldt, 12-21, 12-21.
Despite the loss, Lyanny said they had learned a lot from the defeat.
“I enjoyed the match. It was good for my brother’s experience as well,” Lyanny said after the game.
Lyanny started practicing badminton in the third grade of junior high school, while Yehezkiel started in the sixth grade of elementary school. Both players were trained from an early age by their mother in Japan. They returned to Indonesia in 2011 to pursue their dreams of becoming world class players, like their uncles.
“I want to be a world class badminton player. I had to return to Indonesia because in Japan, I had to change my nationality if I wanted to play in badminton tournaments,” said Lyanny. (dmr)
