JAKARTA - In today's era, badminton, football, or other sports can easily be watched on television or smart phones. Contrast with the era when television was still so rare.
The course of the match from the beginning to the end and other moments that accompany it, can be followed very easily. Everything changes completely, it's easy. These conveniences, could make people lazy to come to the arena.
In addition, social media also plays an important role in the current era. Sports enthusiasts do not have to work hard to build imagination in their heads for a match scene that they only hear from the radio.
Apart from actions on the field, other visuals off the field can also be easily known because they will certainly circulate in the virtual world. However, the narrative of easy access does not mean it can answer satisfaction.
Even though live broadcasts are available on various platforms, the atmosphere of the match still cannot be fully translated by the screen. The crowd's roar in the stadium, the tension at crucial points, and the small gestures of the athletes on the field often lose meaning when only watched from the screen.
Therefore, the experience of watching or seeing live still has an irreplaceable attraction since a long time ago. This phenomenon is also clearly visible in the implementation of the Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2026, an "people's party" event that is open to all levels of badminton lovers.
The queue of spectators ahead of the final of the 2026 Daihatsu Indonesia Masters (VOI/Cosmas Kopong Beda).
In the midst of the digital media rush, thousands of spectators still came to the arena. They took the time, were willing to dig into their pockets to buy tickets, and crowded to watch their heroes in action live.
For some people, watching in the stadium is not just about seeing the final score but wanting to feel the collective emotions, something that certainly cannot be fully transferred to the television screen or device.
"What is extraordinary is that the audience prefers strategic positions even though they have to spend more money, namely VIP positions," said the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the 2026 Daihatsu Indonesia Masters, Achmad Budiharto.
However, it is not easy to attract an audience so that they are willing to spend money to buy tickets for a match or just come to the venue.
It's not an easy task, especially in the last few years since the pandemic, badminton events at Istora have lost their magnetism.
Therefore, it is necessary to make a breakthrough so that the public feels close and involved again. To be able to restore the euphoria at the Istora, the concept of the event was also completely changed, including giving the audience the freedom to interact more closely with the Istora by removing the barricades at the main entrance.
The changes not only target the atmosphere, but also accessibility. The ticket price and very friendly food and beverages are also one of the keys. The committee deliberately designed a package of watching experiences that are friendly to various groups so that they can remove the stigma that watching badminton live is an expensive entertainment.
The breakthroughs made at the 2026 Indonesia Masters can be said to have been successful and received positive responses even though there are certainly things that must still be evaluated, especially for welcoming the 2026 Indonesia Open, a stage that is clearly much bigger in June.
"Yesterday we were a little surprised in the semifinals. I apologize to the audience who bought tickets yesterday, it turned out that they couldn't get in because it was so crowded inside. We will anticipate these things better," said Budi.
Istora Senayan Stadium, Jakarta, during the 2026 Daihatsu Indonesia Masters (VOI/Cosmas Kopong Beda).
However, suppressing ticket and food prices and giving viewers the freedom to access Istora, of course, is not enough to satisfy the audience. Those who come to Istora are certainly hoping for something bigger, namely to see Indonesian representatives achieve the best achievements.
Indonesia's badminton performance has declined, which could also affect the passion for watching the audience. Badminton lovers always have high expectations when their heroes get support from the public themselves. They don't come to watch the defeat.
"Now it's up to PBSI because they are the ones who will have to prepare their athletes, for how they can regenerate their players and present achievements. That's the challenge for them," said Budi.
The signal of revival was at least starting to be seen at the 2026 Indonesia Masters. In the midst of public anxiety about achievements, young names slowly emerged to give hope such as Alwi Farhan.
The 20-year-old shuttler performed almost perfectly in the final round to win his first title at the BWF Super 500 level. Off the court, he is also a confident young player and has excellent public speaking when he speaks at length in front of the media.
The same thing was also shown by the young men's doubles pair of Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin who had to settle for finishing as runners-up. Their presence is a sign that the second layer of Indonesian badminton is starting to move.
"This year, the players who entered the semifinals are partly from young generation players, which last year may not have been there, not taken into account at all. This year we see that the progress has become better," said PBSI Binpres Head, Eng Hian.
However, this progress is still fragile and requires serious escort. One or two good tournaments are not enough to guarantee the continuity of achievements. PBSI's heavy task is to ensure that the achievements become a long-term foundation.
Istora Senayan will always be a magnet and public support has proven to still exist. However, Alwi's actions, Raymond/Nikolaus, Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu, and others must also be able to attract.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
