Source: REUTERS/Carlos Perez Gallardo
[Saba Sports News] Recently, the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) announced a new leadership team comprising 60 members and unveiled an ambitious plan to win gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The current president is former Jakarta police chief Muhammad Fadil Imran, who was elected at the national congress in August. Fadil Imran appointed several former gold medalists to important positions within the PBSI, showcasing his Olympic ambitions. Notably, he appointed Ricky Ahmad Subagja, the men’s doubles champion from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, as the secretary-general, and Taufik Hidayat, the men’s singles gold medalist from the 2004 Athens Olympics, as vice president. Renowned badminton coach Mulyo Handoyo, who guided Taufik to become the world number one and successfully nurtured many international players, was appointed as the coordinator for all national coaches. Mulyo Handoyo will be assisted by Eng Hian, the men’s doubles bronze medalist from the 2004 Athens Olympics. Fadil Imran stated in an interview that the association will focus on every detail to achieve their Olympic goals. Since badminton became a medal sport at the Olympics in 1992, Indonesia has won eight gold medals in badminton events. However, the team performed poorly at the Paris Olympics, only securing a bronze medal in the women’s singles. Consequently, the Indonesian Sports Bureau has initiated reforms in the badminton association.