Sabar/Reza Hope Indonesia Seizes the 2026 Thomas Cup Title

JAKARTA - The men's doubles Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Mohammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani hopes that their debut appearance in the 2026 Thomas Cup can bring a title for the Indonesian team.

Sabar admitted that he and his partner were very happy to have the opportunity to defend Indonesia in the most prestigious men's doubles tournament which takes place every two years.

"Hopefully we can make a good contribution, the maximum, can contribute points for Indonesia and hopefully the Indonesian team can win the Thomas Cup 2026," said Sabar.

Sabar and Reza are two of the 10 men's badminton players sent by Indonesia for this year's Thomas Cup along with several other experienced players, such as Jonatan Christie, Fajar Alfian, and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.

The pair were part of the team that previously won a gold medal in the men's doubles event at the 2025 SEA Games at the end of last year in Thailand.

Reza said that their experience of climbing to the highest podium at the biennial multi-branch sports festival of Southeast Asian countries would be very helpful.

"However, this is the first Thomas Cup for us so there is a sense of tension. So, we have to be more prepared and not waste the opportunity," he said.

Sabar/Reza and his friends have been training at the National Training Center (Pelatnas) for the Thomas Cup preparation since before the 2026 Asian Championships took place.

Thomas and Uber Cup 2026 are scheduled to take place from April 24 to May 3, 2026 in Horsens, Denmark.

Indonesia will start the journey in this year's Thomas Cup from Group D with France, Thailand, and Algeria. On paper, the Garuda Squad has the chance to qualify for the knockout phase.

In the previous three editions, Indonesia managed to reach the final round. Of the three opportunities, one resulted in a title and the other two came out as runners-up.