Slowing down: Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan (right) and Hendra Setiawan feel their bodies can no longer tolerate the demands of competing against younger, more energetic pairs.
KUALA LUMPUR: It wasn’t the farewell they had wished for, but legendary men’s doubles pair Hendra Setiawan-Mohammad Ahsan can bow out with heads held high.
Yesterday, the ‘Daddies” were forced to accept the end of their remarkable career when they lost 13-21, 14-21 to Malaysia’s youngsters Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King in the second round of the Indonesian Masters.
The iconic duo, who have graced international badminton for over two decades, were emotional after the loss in front of their delirious home fans at Istora Senayan in Jakarta.
Ahsan cried and hugged Hendra as the three-time world champions marked the final chapter in their illustrious journey.
“I’m grateful to have had the chance to play here one last time, but it’s also bittersweet as this is our final match,” said Hendra.
“Competing at Istora, with the incredible support from the fans, has always been special. But now, at 40 years old, I feel the wear and tear of the game.”
His partner, Ahsan, explained that their physical condition no longer matched the demands of competing against younger, more energetic players, which ultimately led to their decision to retire.
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to play here for the last time because this is our home.
“I’d like to thank everyone at PBSI (All-Indonesia Badminton Association) for bringing us here, as they may feel that this is the final time they’ll see Hendra and me competing in this tournament.
“We’ve made the decision to retire, as our bodies are no longer in the condition they used to be. We’ve had our time playing badminton, and now we have to move on,” said Ahsan.
For Arif-Roy King, their first-ever victory against the Indonesian greats will provide a high level of motivation as they are set to meet their fellow countrymen Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in the quarter-finals today.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun advanced to the second round yesterday after defeating Taiwan’s Lee Fang-chih-Lee Fang-jen 23-21, 21-13.
It was also a good day for former world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik as they beat Taiwan’s Lu Ming-che-Tang Kai-wei 21-16, 21-16 to set up meeting against Kang Min-hyuk-Kim Won-ho of South Korea today.
There were triple treat from the mixed doubles department as Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, and Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin reached the quarter-finals.
Soon Huat-Shevon will face seventh seeds Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito of Japan while Tang Jie- Ee Wei will face Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran, whom they had defeated in the second round of the Indian Open last week.
Pang Ron-Su Yin are expected to face tough competition from the home duo Rinov Rivaldy-Lisa Ayu Kusumawati.
The sole representatives in the women’s doubles – Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah will face Japan’s Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto for a place in the semi-finals.
