Jakarta – How can we develop junior Asian golfers capable of competing on the global stage? This question formed the core discussion on the ITSMe podcast hosted by Raisha, alongside Boom Ratanakul, CEO and Managing Director of The Junior Golf Series (The JGS). The conversation took place on the sidelines of The JGS Elite International Championship, held at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club from 28 to 30 April 2026.
During the discussion, Boom confirmed that the greatest challenge for junior golf in Asia is not a lack of raw talent, but limited access to international-standard competitive opportunities. Young golfers require more match experience, regular exposure to opponents from different countries, and the chance to develop within a structured, long-term player development system, he explained.
This guiding vision became the foundation for The Junior Golf Series. Established in Thailand in 2010, the organisation has steadily expanded its competition network across Asian territories. Indonesia joined this expansion following a memorandum of understanding signed in December 2025, which granted a five-year operating license for JGS Indonesia. This agreement clears a formal pathway for local junior golfers to compete in regional and elite international tournaments within The JGS circuit.
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Boom Ratanakul explained that The JGS does not only run standalone tournaments - it builds an entire development ecosystem through its Point Race ranking system. Over each competitive season, athletes accumulate points from every event they enter to qualify for higher tier competitions, including the Thailand Junior Masters, Singapore Junior Masters, Taiwan Junior Open, NextGen Australian Junior Masters and the peak Asian Junior Masters. Under this model, players are not only competing for championship titles, but also building match experience and competitive mental fortitude from an early age.
This framework was deployed for the 2026 JGS Elite International Championship at Royale Jakarta Golf Club. The event hosted 48 junior golfers across all age categories, and proceeded as scheduled despite temporary weather delays caused by rain.
The competition produced the following winners: Passion Hsu (Singapore) and Jayawardana Dornan (Indonesia) in Class A; Mavis Chua (Malaysia) and Abraraza Adriano Musyanif (Indonesia) in Class B; Qalesya Azkia Shanum and Arhata Putra Malik in Class C; Milanka Azwar and Arsenio Ibrahim in Class D; Charlotte Belva Sutrisna and Caius Yap in Class E; and Karl Lee (Singapore) in Boys Class F.
For Boom, this list of champions represents only the starting point. The core mission of The JGS is to build a sustainable, continuous development pipeline that will allow more young Asian golfers to progress and be properly prepared for elite international competition. Through this vision, Indonesia now occupies a central role in developing the next generation of Asian golfers for the world stage.
