PETALING JAYA: Former national mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto is set for a difficult start after taking charge of Indonesia’s mixed doubles squad, with several players currently under investigation over alleged match-fixing.
The 48-year-old was officially announced by the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) yesterday as the country’s new mixed doubles head coach.
PBSI’s head of performance development division, Eng Hian, said Nova’s appointment is aimed at restoring Indonesia’s mixed doubles competitiveness on the world stage.
“Nova has extensive experience and a deep understanding of doubles, both as a player and as a coach,” said Eng Hian.
Nova replaces Rionny Mainaky, who parted ways with PBSI on July 30 — the same day the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced Nova’s departure from the national set-up.
His appointment marks a homecoming for the former Beijing 2008 Olympic silver medallist, who previously held the same role in 2021.
“We hope his return will inject fresh energy, strengthen our development programme, enhance the competitiveness of our mixed doubles pairs, and help them achieve the best possible results in international tournaments,” Eng Hian added.
Nova inherits a squad facing a difficult situation, with several Indonesian mixed doubles players currently under investigation by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for alleged integrity violations.
World No. 13 pair Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu and world No. 24 duo Adnan Maulana-Indah Jamil have already withdrawn from the World Championships in New Delhi from Aug 17-23.
PBSI insisted the withdrawal of both pairs was part of an organisational restructuring and made no mention of the alleged match-fixing investigation.
However, the move has done little to dispel speculation, with the association saying only that they would continue working closely with the BWF to ensure their decisions uphold good governance, regulatory compliance, athletes’ rights and the integrity of the sport.
