It was a tournament to remember as Indonesia reigned supreme, turning the tables on two-time champions China to lift their maiden Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship (BAMTC) title. In a historic triumph, Indonesia stunned the hosts 3-1 in a thrilling final that lasted two hours and 26 minutes, dashing China’s hopes of securing a third consecutive title. Fueled by two early victories in mixed doubles and men’s singles, Indonesia seized control of the tie and never looked back, scripting an unforgettable moment in their badminton history. Despite the roaring support of the home crowd at the Qingdao Conson Sports Centre, China failed to replicate their past dominance, falling short in their bid to complete a championship hat-trick. The much-anticipated clash between two of Asia’s badminton giants saw Indonesia striking first with back-to-back wins in the mixed doubles and men’s singles, setting the tone for an electrifying final. Indonesia came out firing, drawing first blood in the opening mixed doubles encounter. Rinov Rivaldi/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti displayed perfect chemistry, dictating the tempo and keeping China’s Gao Jia Xuan/Wu Meng Ying under constant pressure. The Indonesian pair dominated from the start, forcing repeated errors from their opponents. With swift net play and powerful smashes, they wrapped up the first game 21-11 before sealing the second 21-13 in just 31 minutes, giving Indonesia a crucial 1-0 lead. Indonesia’s rising star Alwi Farhan then stepped onto the court for the men’s singles tie, taking on China’s young sensation Hu Zhe An.Alwi started aggressively, racing to a 5-2 lead in a fast-paced battle. With relentless attacks and sharp court coverage, he extended his advantage to 11-4 at the interval and controlled the exchanges, wrapping up the first game 21-15 in just 22 minutes. In the second game, Alwi maintained his dominance, storming to a 5-1 lead and holding a four-point cushion at 11-7. Hu tried to mount a comeback, closing the gap to 11-14, but Alwi remained composed, shifting gears to surge ahead once more. With precision and confidence, he sealed a 21-15, 21-13 victory in 48 minutes, keeping his perfect tournament record intact and propelling Indonesia to a commanding 2-0 lead. With China on the ropes, Xu Wen Jing stepped up to keep the hosts in the fight. The young women’s singles star delivered a brilliant performance against Putri Kusuma Wardini, the world No.14 from Indonesia. Xu dictated the pace from the start, covering the court with impressive speed and finesse. Despite Wardini’s efforts to counter, the Chinese shuttler’s sharp smashes and tactical precision proved too much. Xu’s commanding 21-12, 21-13win in just 36 minutes breathed new life into China’s campaign, narrowing the gap to 2-1. Needing a victory to force a decider, China turned to Chen Xu Jun/Huang Di in the men’s doubles. However, Indonesia’s Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin had other plans, standing on the brink of making history for their country. The Indonesian duo, renowned for their explosive attack, stormed to a 21-15 first-game win, capitalizing on a string of unforced errors from the Chinese pair.Chen/Huang, who had produced a heroic comeback against Japan in the semifinals yesterday, struggled to replicate that form against the relentless Indonesians. Shohibul/Marthin grew in confidence, surging to an 11-6 lead at the second-game interval.
At 16-6, the writing was on the wall. With unwavering determination, the Indonesian duo wrapped up the second game 21-9, clinching a momentous 3-1 triumph for Indonesia, securing their first BAMTC crown since the tournament’s inception in 2017.
