ndonesia failed to win gold in the badminton women’s team final at the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines on Tuesday after losing to defending champion Thailand 3-1.
Thailand’s victory this year gives it four consecutive finals wins at the Games.
Indonesia opened Tuesday’s best-of-five battle a bit rough after its top singles shuttler Gregoria Mariska Tunjung lost 21-13, 12-21, 21-14 to former number one Ratchanok Intanon.
Ni Ketut Mahadewi Istarani and Apriyani Rahayu, however, made it equal with a 21-17, 21-18 doubles win against Rawinda Prajongjai and Puttita Supajirakul.
Singles shuttler Fitriani failed to carry the momentum, losing 21-8, 21-10 to Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
In what turned out to be the deciding match, doubles pair Siti Fadia Silva and Ribka Sugiarto lost in straight games 21-8, 21-17 to Chayanit Chaladchalam and Phataimas Muenwong, losing their chance to prolong the final.
“I feel like we were being held down by opponents and we could not get out of it. In the second game we found our rhythm but we rushed it,” said Ribka, adding that the loss was not due to nerves.
A fifth and final match was not played.
Indonesia won the bronze medal at the 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia after losing to the host team in the semifinals.
Indonesia’s last SEA Games gold in the women’s team category was in 2007, when it beat Thailand in the semis en route to a final victory over Singapore.
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