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View all search resultsAll eyes on Praveen, Melati to continue Indonesian mixed doubles supremacy
Hopes are now pinned on Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti who won the All England mixed doubles title in March -- the last big badminton tournament before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to suspend all competitions.
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Indonesia's Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti celebrate after winning the All England mixed doubles final against Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai in Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, on March 15. (Reuters/Action Images/Andrew Boyers)
W
hen Tontowi Ahmad decided to retire last month, the Indonesian mixed doubles badminton squad lost one of its most influential players. At the age of 32 Tontowi followed in the footsteps of partner Liliyana Natsir, who retired from badminton in early 2019 after a 15-year career.
The Tontowi-Liliyana duo had been the top mixed-doubles pair in the squad, clinching a gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and winning numerous international titles such as the 2017 World Championship in Scotland.
With both now retired, hopes are now pinned on Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti who won the All England mixed doubles title in March -- the last big badminton tournament before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to suspend all competitions.
Praveen said the key to the All England victory was their performance in the quarterfinals when they managed to overcome the pressure when facing second seeds Wang Yi Lyu and Huang Dong Ping of China.
Having lost the first game, the chances of Praveen and Melati turning the situation around appeared slim. But they proved their skills, winning the match and advancing to the semifinal before eventually bringing the All England title home.
“I told Melati [during the quarterfinal] that it wasn’t over until it reached the 21st point. We need that kind of spirit on the court, which eventually helped us secure the title,” Praveen said in a virtual press conference on Thursday.
For their accomplishment in the 2020 All England, the Djarum Badminton Club where Praveen and Melati started, showered them with bonuses through its Djarum Foundation Bakti Olahraga program, including Rp 200 million (US$14,271) in cash deposits.
