BATC 2026 Will Mark Ester Nurumi's Comeback

JAKARTA - The 2026 Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) 2026 which started this week will mark the return of women's singles badminton player Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo.

Ester was absent for almost a year due to a right tibia fracture. He was only declared recovered at the end of last year and then entered the Indonesian women's squad for BATC 2026.

The badminton player born in Jayapura could not hide his excitement to be able to compete again after being absent for a long time since playing in the Taipei Open in May 2024.

"Praise God, I was trusted to play and given the opportunity to play for this doubles match. Of course I'm happy to be back at this tournament. It's not easy either until now from my recovery and preparation," said Ester in a statement received.

The 21-year-old athlete must undergo several medical tests first to ensure that his condition is really ready to compete in the competitive event.

The brother of the men's singles badminton player Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo said that his preparations so far have gone very well so that he hopes to give the best results in the two-year event.

"Now it's just maintenance again, from its durability and game. I just tested the court here, so, yes, it's good enough," he said.

The Indonesian women's doubles will start their fight in group X against Hong Kong on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Next, they will face the strong Japanese team the next day.

Besides Ester, the Indonesian women's squad is filled by Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan, Mutiara Ayu Puspitasari, Ni Kadek Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi, Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma, Meilysa Trias Puspitasari, Rachel Allessya Rose, Febi Setianingrum, Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, and Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi.

The 2026 Asian Badminton Doubles Championship is scheduled to take place on February 3-8 at the Qingdao Conson Gymnasium, Qingdao, China. A total of 11 countries are participants in the women's category and 12 countries in the men's.