PBSI is finalizing its national team lineup for the 2026 Asian Games, with Jojo and the Sabar/Reza doubles pair included on the official candidate roster.

PBSI has begun preparing the composition of Indonesia's badminton team for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. A number of players outside the national training centre remain under consideration, including Jonatan Christie (popularly known as Jojo) and men's doubles pair Sabar Karyaman Gutama / Mohammad Reza Pahlevi.

Eng Hian, Head Coach of the PBSI National Training Programme, confirmed that all three athletes are listed on the preliminary roster of players projected to represent Indonesia at Asia's largest multi-sport event.

This decision confirms that PBSI remains open to recruiting non-training centre athletes who maintain elite world-level competitiveness to strengthen Indonesia's squad for this prestigious tournament.

"At this point, Jojo and the Sabar/Reza pair are the only top elite players operating outside the national training programme. They will absolutely remain on the longlist for selection," Eng Hian stated during a press conference held in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Even with their inclusion on the longlist, Eng Hian stressed that no final decision has been finalised regarding the official squad that will travel to the 2026 Asian Games.

PBSI is conducting a full comprehensive evaluation for every candidate player, factoring in recent competitive performance, physical fitness condition, and team strategic requirements across each match discipline.

"We are still in discussion for the final shortlist. This process will involve consultation with the first vice chairman and the general chairman. All coaching staff will also be included in these discussions to align selections with team operational needs and agreed performance targets," explained the coach, who is affectionately known as Koh Didi.

The selection process carries high importance as Indonesia has set ambitious targets for the 2026 Asian Games. PBSI is aiming to secure at least one gold medal from the badminton discipline.

Men's Singles and Men's Doubles are marked as the primary priority disciplines to hit this target, following their consistent competitive results across recent tournament seasons.

The official Indonesian squad announcement will only be made after the conclusion of the 2026 BWF World Championships running 17-23 August, giving all remaining candidates further opportunity to demonstrate their competitive quality.

Alongside Jojo and Sabar/Reza, attention is also focused on mixed doubles pair Jafar Hidayatullah / Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu.

Eng Hian confirmed that this pair still remains eligible for Asian Games selection, despite their confirmed withdrawal from the 2026 BWF World Championships.

"It is still possible for Jafar/Felisha to compete at the Asian Games. For this reason, we have not yet locked in the final player shortlist," Eng Hian added.

Jafar/Felisha were previously withdrawn from the World Championships as part of adjustments to Indonesia's tournament delegation, and to align with international athlete eligibility protocols.

PBSI did not provide specific details regarding administrative or regulatory factors behind the pair being omitted from the World Championships roster.

Eng Hian confirmed the decision was directly informed by performance evaluations from the athletes' prior tournament appearances.

"Naturally there was an evaluation of results from their previous competitions. That was in fact the primary deciding factor. We are assessing what development requirements each athlete needs moving forward," he clarified.

PBSI continues to finalise the full team composition for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will ultimately consist of 10 male and 10 female athletes.