Non-Pelatas Athletes Have the Opportunity to Enter the 2026 Asian Games Squad, Ricky Soebagdja Reveals His Reasons

JAKARTA - PP PBSI opens the opportunity to combine Pelatnas and non-Pelatnas players in the Indonesian badminton team for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on September 19-October 4.

PP PBSI Secretary General Ricky Soebagdja said the selection of players would be adjusted to the needs of the team in order to form the best composition.

"For sure we will choose the best team. The composition can come from Pelatnas or players outside Pelatnas, depending on the team's needs," said Ricky at a press conference for the 2026 Kapolri Cup Badminton Championship in Jakarta, Friday.

According to Ricky, the summoning of non-Pelatnas players is not new for PBSI. A similar policy was also implemented when Indonesia appeared in various doubles championships, including the 2026 Thomas Cup.

"The principle is to lower the best composition for Indonesia. So it is very possible that the team is a combination of Pelatnas and non-Pelatnas players," said Ricky.

He said the names projected to strengthen Indonesia at the Asian Games have basically been prepared.

However, PBSI will still monitor the condition and readiness of the players before determining the final composition.

"So far, the names that are there have entered. Hopefully there are no things that we don't want so that they can still perform," said the gold medal winner at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with Rexy Mainaky.

PBSI has also not set a medal target for the Indonesian badminton team. The target will be discussed with the Development and Achievement Department by considering the sector that has the greatest opportunity.

"Regarding the medal target, we will discuss it again with the Development and Achievement Department, especially to determine the sectors that have the greatest opportunities," said Ricky as quoted by Antara.

With the remaining preparation time, Ricky hopes the players can show their best performance and contribute medals for Indonesia.

At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Indonesian badminton received sharp criticism for its unsatisfactory results. The doubles team was eliminated in the quarterfinals and the squad as a whole returned home without medals.