PETALING JAYA: Watch out for fast-rising Indonesian mixed doubles shuttlers Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu in the World Championships.
Jafar-Felisha only combined a year ago but have clicked quickly and rose to No. 1 in the mixed doubles in Indonesia.
The world No. 11 duo are set to pose a threat to their rivals in their first appearance in the world meet from Aug 25-31 in Paris.
Jafar-Felisha proved their capabilities by bagging the World Tour Super 300 Taiwan Open title in May.
The pair also captured bronze in their debut Asian Championships in April and reached the semi-finals of the Super 1000 China Open last month.
Indonesian doubles coach Rionny Mainaky has backed Jafar-Felisha to defy the odds again and reach the final in Paris.
“I have seen that Jafar and Felisha are capable of handling pressure.
“I want them to prove themselves in the World Championships,” said Rionny in an interview posted in the Indonesian National Badminton Association website.
“They have the skills and they are ready. Now, it only depends on their commitment and fighting spirit.
“They only lost matches in Super 750 and 1000 tournaments due to small mistakes. We have analysed these and they know where they went wrong now.
“If they are fully focused and can stay fit, I’m confident they can reach the final in Paris. They are young and have plenty of potential,” added Rionny.
Tantowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir were the last Indonesians to win the mixed doubles gold in the world meet when they triumphed in the 2017 edition in Glasgow.
Tantowi-Liliyana also won the title in 2013 in Guangzhou.
Indonesia have struggled to hit similar heights in the mixed doubles since the legendary pair’s retirement.
Jafar, 22 and Felisha, who only turns 20 next month, could be the ones to finally fill the void left behind by Tantowi-Liliyana.
The youngsters will be keen to prove that they can follow in their seniors’ footsteps with a good showing in Paris.
