Government support, fanatical fans and world-beating players have made it the country’s favourite sport
In England, where the modern version of the sport originated, badminton is a lawn game, played by people drunk on Pimm’s and sunshine. In Asia it is a serious business. At the Badminton World Championships in 2019, Asian countries won 19 of 20 medals. In recent decades China has emerged as a heavyweight. But Indonesia is the sport’s juggernaut. It has won more titles at the Thomas Cup, the most prestigious tournament, than any other country.
It is little wonder then that badminton is Indonesia’s favourite sport. It is also the country’s most developed, and boasts the only national team for which the government runs a training centre. Scouts scour the country’s 3,500 badminton clubs for fresh talent. Parents encourage their children to take it up. The rewards for skill and hard work are handsome—not always a given in a country where corruption and nepotism are rife.
Perhaps most importantly, badminton is a source of national pride. It is the only sport to produce a string of heroes; Rudy Hartono, for instance, has won eight titles at the All-England men’s singles, more than any other player. Many of its champions come from ethnic minorities. As Mr Raja says, the sport “cannot be separated from Indonesia”.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline "A pretty good racquet"