Ambitious: Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto are out to make history in the All-England.
KUALA LUMPUR: Indonesian men’s doubles pair Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto have set their sights on another All-England title in Birmingham as they bid to defend their crown for the third consecutive year.
To fully focus on the prestigious tournament, they have opted out of all European events leading up to it, including the German Open (Feb 25-March 2), Orleans Masters (March 4-9) and Swiss Open (March 18-23), which takes place a week after the All-England.
Fajar said the decision was made after consultation with the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), given the packed tournament schedule this year.
“There are still about two weeks before we leave for the All-England, and our preparations have been intense but going well,” said Fajar.
“I hope we can maximise our training during this period while avoiding injuries.
“Our goal is always to achieve the best results, and since we won the title last year, we are determined to claim a third straight victory.’’
Fajar and Alfian clinched their first All-England title in 2023 by defeating greats Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in the final.
The following year, they reached the final again, dashing Malaysia’s hopes of ending a 17-year wait for a men’s doubles title after overcoming Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.
Should they triumph again this year, they will become the first men’s doubles pair in the Open era to win three straight All-England titles since 1980. Several pairs have attempted to achieve the feat, including Kim Moon-soo-Park Joo-bong, Li Yongbo-Tian Bingyi, and Marcus Fernaldi-Kevin Sanjaya, but all fell short.
However, Fajar-Rian are not taking things lightly, knowing that other pairs share the same dream of lifting the prestigious title.
Apart from them, Indonesia will also be represented in the men’s doubles event by Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza, Bagas Maulana-Leo Rolly and Daniel Marthin-Shohibul Fikri.
“The competition will definitely be different, especially since this is a transitional year following the Paris Olympics. Many young pairs are rising through the ranks, and it won’t be easy for us as we are no longer as young as we used to be,’’ added Fajar.
“There are several strong challengers in their early 20s from China, Malaysia and South Korea. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a chance.”
