Malaysia Open: Indonesian Singles Sector Paceklik Holds Two More Decades

Jonathan Christie, one of the Indonesian singles who had to stop bad records at the Malaysia Open (doc. PBSI).

JAKARTA The women's and men's singles sector in Indonesia underwent the longest title drought at the Malaysia Open, the Super 1000 BWF tournament which will be held again next week.

Malaysia Open is one of the most prestigious stages in the late badminton tournament BWF World Tour. This year, the event will take place on January 7-12 2025 at the Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur.

Indonesian representatives will certainly take part there. Currently, there are nine singles/pairs spread across five sectors on the temporary list to play in the tournament.

Last year, not a single Indonesian badminton player managed to bring home the title from the tournament which first took place in 1937.

In the history of this tournament, Indonesia has won all the titles in the five sectors. The latest is the men's doubles Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the 2023 edition.

In the previous edition, Indonesia also brought home the title through the women's doubles pair Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.

At that time, the couple had only been put together for about two months after Apri separated from Greysia Polii after they won a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics which was delayed by a year.

A long wait experienced by Indonesian mixed doubles. This number last won the title at the Malaysia Open in 2016 through the mainstay pair at that time, Liliyana Natsir/Tontowi Ahmad.

However, the drought of Indonesian women's and men's singles titles is much longer than that. Both numbers have not climbed the highest podium for more than two decades at the Malaysia Open.

The women's singles fasting title at the Malaysia Open has been going on for 28 years since Susi Susanti in 1997. The men's singles are still waiting for the title since Taufik Hidayat in the 2000 edition.

Indonesia will field men's singles Jonatan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting as well as women's singles Gregoria Mariska Tunjung and Putri Kusuma Wardani this year.