Kevin Sanjaya discusses Indonesian men’s doubles decline

Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo — former world number one badminton player — shares his perspective on the current title drought facing Indonesian men’s doubles.

The golden era of Indonesian men’s doubles in 2019 — when three elite pairs collected 14 trophies — now stands in stark contrast to the present situation. These pairs were Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan, and Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto.

The men’s doubles sector, traditionally PBSI’s reliable source of championships — now faces serious challenges following the retirement of Marcus/Kevin and Ahsan/Hendra last year. Fajar/Alfian, as the successors to the world number one throne, are struggling to maintain their performance.

Two new national training center combinations — Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin — have yet to demonstrate the expected consistency in reaching tournament final stages.