Men’s singles shuttler Jonatan “Jojo” Christie and world number one pair Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo were stretched to the limit by their friends and foes in badminton matches that ended in victory for all three on Tuesday, signaling a return to glory for Indonesia in the sport.

Indonesia held steady its fourth-place position in the overall standings at the end of the night, winning a pair of gold medals, a silver and a bronze in badminton as well as three silvers and two bronzes in archery, sepak takraw and beach volleyball. Having led the pack since day one, China moved closer to the 100 gold medal mark, with Japan and South Korea trailing far behind.

Although they failed to win golds, women’s archers Diananda Choirunisa and Riau Ega Agata Salsabila gave Indonesia its first medals in archery in 24 years.

In badminton, Jonatan ended Indonesia’s 12-year drought in the men’s singles by winning the country’s first gold in the event since Taufik Hidayat won at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

The men’s doubles final pitted Marcus and Kevin, dubbed the “Minions” by their fans, against fellow compatriots Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the first all-Indonesia final in the event since legendary pairs Tjun Tjun-Johan Wahyudi and Christian Hadinata-Ade Chandra squared off at the 1974
Asian Games in Tehran.

World number 15 Jonatan defied the odds, beating world number six Chou Tienchen of Chinese Taipei in a closely fought final at the packed Gelora Bung Karno Sports Hall in Central Jakarta. After downing Chou 21-18, 20-22, 21-15, Jonatan proved he is a player to watch in future world competitions, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 20-year-old nearly won the match in straight games when he overcame a 5-point deficit in the second game to level the score at 20-20. Jonatan then dominated the deciding game to clinch the title and become the youngest Asian Games men’s singles gold medalist.

“I never thought I would win the gold. This is a blessing from God,” Jonatan told a post-match conference. He had beaten opponents who ranked higher than him, including world champion Kento Momota of Japan and Chen Long of China, en route to the final.

Like other Indonesian gold medalists, Jonatan will be awarded a cash bonus of Rp 1.5 billion (US$102,609) by the government. He said he would donate some of the money to those in need, including the victims of recent Lombok earthquakes.

In the men’s doubles final, the country’s two best pairs put on high-level performances, much to the delight of the 5,000 people in attendance.

Fajar and Rian won the first game 21-13, but Marcus and Kevin regained their form, executing searing smashes and playing with solid defense to take the second game 21-18.

The world number ones were left trailing in the deciding game but clawed their way back to overcome Fajar and Rian 24-22.

The winning pair praised their national teammates for their strong showing. “They showed a great performance, which was beyond our expectations,” Kevin said.

Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) head of sports development Susy Susanti expressed gratitude over the badminton team having achieved its target of winning at least two gold medals. The outcome was not in line with the plan, as the PBSI had projected one of the golds to come from the mixed doubles event, not the
men’s singles.

Susy said that, after the Asian Games, the team would shift its focus to major tournaments that award qualifying points for the 2020 Olympics, such as the All England Open and World Championships next year.

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