With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics just around the corner, the race for spots at the Summer Games has become more intense with few badminton tournaments left to collect much-needed points.

On the way to the finish line of the Olympic qualification period, which will end in April after the European and Asian championships, players must not only battle each other but also themselves.

Some have managed to overcome the psychological pressure, while others have stumbled.

Taiwanese men’s singles player Chou Thien-chen is well aware of the ramped-up pressure with qualification matchups featuring top threats from across the world, including world number one Kento Momota of Japan, Anders Antonsen of Denmark and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia. Momota, who was injured in a vehicle accident in Kuala Lumpur just hours after winning the Malaysia Masters, will not compete in this week’s Daihatsu Indonesia Masters.

Despite the bevy of top talents, Chou refused to focus on the pressure, preferring instead to improve his game by managing his emotions amid heated competition.

“I take this kind of pressure as an opportunity to learn. The more pressure I receive, the more upbeat I feel about tackling it. I just want to focus on [earning] victories and don’t want to think too much about the pressure,” he said.

Competing at the Indonesia Masters this week at Istora Senayan indoor stadium in Jakarta, Chou aims to repeat his success from last year when he won the Indonesia Open title at the same venue.

Men’s doubles player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy of India had a similar experience as Chou this Olympic qualification period, saying that so many pairs had been playing consistently at every event.

Rankireddy, who partners with Chirag Shetty, singled out Indonesian duo Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan as a pair that played with great consistency during the first half of the qualification period. Hendra and Ahsan, nicknamed the Daddies, won three important titles last season, namely the All England Open, the World Championships and the World Tour Final.

“Many Indonesian players are playing as good as the Chinese players. It’s very tough for us. We have to manage playing at a certain level in bigger tournaments and we have to be good,” said world number 12 Rankireddy.

Rankireddy and Shetty saw positive strides in their play last season, reaching the final of the French Open after beating Hendra and Ahsan.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) head of achievement and development Susy Susanti said the national shuttlers had received psychological support through counselling sessions, in addition to the usual physical training.

Reflecting on her own experience, Susy said she did not want to burden her protégés with many targets and rules as it could come back to bite them.

“I don’t force them to do this and that as it would make them stressful. I am more flexible. I never say to them that they have to win a title because I know that they actually want to win. Rather, I am more like, ‘This is the opportunity and it might not come twice,’” she said.

The first day of the Indonesia Masters on Tuesday saw several Indonesians advance to the main bracket.

Indonesian Ruselli Hartawan booked a first round ticket in women’s singles after stunning Taiwan’s Pai Yu-po 21-18, 23-21 in the qualifiers. She will face seventh-seeded Michelle Li in the first round on Wednesday.

Newly formed mixed doubles pair Tontowi Ahmad and Apriani Rahyu also secured a first round spot after beating Thai pair Supak Jomkoh and Supissara Paewsampran 21-16, 21-17. They will face seventh-seeded Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung on Wednesday.

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