Kudus, Central Java (ANTARA) -
Indonesian women's doubles pair Isyana Syahira Meida and Rinjani Kwinnara Nastine won the 2026 Polytron Kudus Indonesia Masters title with a straight-games victory over Thailand's Hathaithip Mijad and Napapakom Tungkasatan, 21-15, 21-17, at Djarum Arena Sports Hall in Kudus on Sunday.
The victory marked a major achievement for Isyana and Rinjani, as they claimed the title in front of their home crowd. They were Indonesia's last women's representatives in contention for the BWF World Tour Super 100 title after the country's other women's players were eliminated in the semifinals.
Isyana said the key to their victory was playing with confidence and enjoying the match without being burdened by winning the match.
"Earlier, we played with more confidence, wanting to enjoy the match. Maybe because it was just one more step, we did not want to think about winning, we just wanted to play," she noted.
According to her, the Thai pair performed quite well, especially at the start of the first game. However, the Indonesian pair were able to capitalize on momentum when their opponents started to lose points and experienced a decline in consistency.
She also acknowledged that the match tested their mental strength, as their opponents played freely with little pressure and were determined to beat the host pair.
“They came here with nothing to lose, especially since they wanted to beat us as the host pair. We had to be mentally prepared and resilient,” she continued.
Meanwhile, Rinjani conveyed that coach Nitya Krishinda Maheswari Korwa had asked them to play with confidence and trust in their respective abilities before the match.
"Just play confidently, be confident in your shots. Whatever you want to do, just be confident in your shots," she said.
The title in Kudus marks Isyana/Rinjani's second championship in a Super 100 tournament. They previously won the title in India in 2025.
Rinjani mentioned that their success was due to the support of several parties throughout the tournament, from the supporters in attendance, their parents, their playing partners, and their support team.
"Certainly, everyone played a role, including the supporters here. My parents happened to come to cheer me on and pray for me. Our partners, too, and our nutrition team, masseurs, and physiotherapists, also helped us," she added.
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Translator: Akhmad Nazaruddin, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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