A Perfect Match, Praveen/Melati Start Match At Tokyo Olympics 24 July

JAKARTA - It's just a matter of days, the athletes who have gathered in Sakura Country will start the grand performance of the Tokyo Olympics on July 23 to August 8, including badminton players Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti.

Indonesia's Praveen Jordan/Melati mixed doubles have become one of the mainstays on the international stage, especially since they have won a number of titles.

For example, the Danish Open and the French Open 2019, to the All England 2020 which managed to record the names of Praveen / Melati as champions.

Don't forget, the couple who are often matched by their fans because they are considered a harmonious couple also won the 2019 Sea Games gold medal.

They are only one year apart in age. Praveen was born in Bontang, April 26, 1993, while Melati was born in Serang, October 28, 1994.

Now, Praveen / Melati occupies the fourth position in the world according to the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

At the Tokyo Olympics, they were the only mixed doubles pair to represent Indonesia.

Practically, the high hopes of the Indonesian people depend on the shoulders of the two athletes who are often called the "honey couple" in order to bring home the gold medal.

The badminton schedule at the Tokyo Olympics has also been announced, Praveen / Melati will start the struggle in Group C.

They are joined by tough mixed doubles hosts, Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino, Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Boje (Denmark), and Simon Wing Hang Leung/Gronya Somerville (Australia).

Based on the schedule that has been released, Praveen/Melati will start their match at the Tokyo Olympics against Simon/Gronya on July 24, 2021.

Seeing the results of the Tokyo Olympics group stage draw, Praveen / Melati remain optimistic that they will qualify even though their opponents cannot be taken lightly.

To note, the two best positions in each group will advance to the last eight.

"Looking at the draw, it's pretty good, in our meeting records we've never lost, but this is the Olympics. So whoever the opponent is, you can't let your guard down," said Meli, Melati's best friend, as reported by Antara.

However, both of them don't want to be too insistent and prefer to go through the matches one by one to the maximum, while still being wary of all potential opponents.

The big test in the group phase is predicted to come from the host pair Watanabe / Higashino judging from the track record of the two pairs.

The record of the meeting between the two is a 2-2 draw, although in the last two meetings at the China Open 2019 and BWF World Tour Finals 2019, Praveen / Melati had to admit the opponent's advantage.

Meanwhile, against Christiansen/Boje, Praveen/Melati won a 2-0 meeting record. Their last meeting occurred at the Thailand Open 2021 in January with a winning score of 21-19, 22-20.

For the Australian pair, Simon/Gronya, who will be Praveen/Melati's first match, have never met before.

"If you want to fight anyone, you have to be ready, focused, and take care of the conditions. We are optimistic that we can qualify from this group," said Jordan, who is familiarly called Ucok, showing his optimism.

They will compete at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, which is the venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic badminton competition on 24 July-2 August.

As a mixed doubles pair, of course they must have strong chemistry and motivation to work together to win every match.

Regarding chemistry, it seems that the two of them don't need to be doubted. Because they fit so well and compactly, the two of them are even mistaken for dating.

Praveen/Melati's motivation is also considered to be growing ahead of the departure for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The assessment was delivered directly by PBSI Cipayung's mixed doubles coach Richard Mainaky.

That motivation grew after they were defeated by their juniors in a simulation tournament, 16-17 June.

"I feel more and more here, Praveen/Melati are more motivated. For example, now Melati, after completing the training program, wants to add a special program," he said.

Likewise with Praveen who always asks for an early start in his afternoon practice.

That's also what makes the man born in Ternate, January 23, 1965 optimistic that Praveen/Melati can contribute to the Red-and-White achievements at the Tokyo Olympics even though they are not accompanied by him.

In fact, they are believed to be the successors to one of Richard's protégés who became the world's top players in the mixed doubles sector, Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir (Owi/Butet).

In the training process, Richard admitted that there were no significant changes from the training menu given to Owi/Butet when they brought home the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"For the training menu, there are not many changes from the time of Owi / Butet. But there are special adjustments because each individual has different needs," explained the mixed doubles specialist coach.

Will they manage to take home gold at the Tokyo Olympics? Appropriately, badminton lovers in the country should also be optimistic that Praveen/Melati can make the nation proud.

Name : Praveen Jordan

Place/Date of Birth : Bontang, East Kalimantan, 26 April 1993

Height: 183cm

Club Origin: PB Djarum

Name : Melati Daeva Oktavianti

Place/Date of Birth : Serang, Banten, 28 October 1994

Height: 168cm

Club Origin: PB Djarum