Sensational Debut! Raymond/Joaquin Indonesia's Only Representatives in All England 2026 Semifinals
Source: Antara/HO-PBSI
Amid the fall of one by one representatives of Indonesia, Indonesia's hope at the All England 2026 now rests on one young pair. In an increasingly competitive atmosphere, Men's Doubles pair Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin became the sole Indonesian representative advancing to the semifinals.
The Indonesian pair secured their semifinal ticket in the world's oldest Badminton Tournament after defeating China's pair Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang in the Quarter Finals at Utilita Arena Birmingham, England, on Saturday morning WIB.
Raymond/Joaquin closed the match in two straight games with scores of 21-18 and 21-12, a convincing victory over the tournament's third-seeded pair.
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Despite carrying Indonesia's hopes alone in the BWF Super 1000 tournament, Raymond asserted they refuse to be burdened by that status.
“Pressure exists as Indonesia's only representatives in the All England semifinals, but we don't want to make it a burden,” stated Raymond as quoted by PBSI.
Raymond/Joaquin became Indonesia's last remaining hope after the Red and White representatives in Women's Singles, men's singles, Women's Doubles, and mixed doubles were halted in the Quarter Finals.
For the young pair, this achievement feels particularly special as they made their All England debut and advanced directly to the semifinals.
High self-confidence became the key factor in overcoming their tough quarter-final hurdle.
“We believed more in ourselves and executed the coach's instruction to actively seek attacking opportunities,” Raymond said.
Meanwhile, Joaquin noted that their mindset of bravely challenging more experienced opponents proved crucial.
“Today we competed with the mindset that both sides had equal winning chances. We instilled that mentality, specifically targeting matches against senior players above our ranking,” Joaquin explained.
In the semifinal, Raymond/Joaquin will face the winners between South Korea's Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae and France's Christo Popov/Toma Junior Popov.
Riding high on winning momentum and confidence, Raymond/Joaquin carry Indonesia's great hope to keep shining on this year's All England stage.
