Source:NURPHOTO/Kabir Jhangiani
[Saba Sports News] On May 22, the 2025 World Masters Badminton Championships for Middle-Aged and Older Athletes kicked off, featuring two world-class players. One was 53-year-old Indonesian men’s singles legend Hariyanto Arbi, and the other was 51-year-old Indonesian mixed doubles star Tri Kusharjanto. Partnering for the over-50 men’s doubles competition, they surprisingly lost 1-2 (18-21, 21-19, 15-21) to an amateur Taiwanese duo Yang Zhiyu/Liu Yingxiong. It’s known that the World Masters Badminton Championships take place every two years, featuring seven age groups: over 35, over 40, over 45, over 50, over 55, over 60, over 65, and over 70. Former national players from China, Xiong Guobao, from Denmark, Jonas Rasmussen, from the USA, Tony Gunawan, and from Indonesia, Flandy Limpele, have all participated in this tournament. Records show that Albi won the men’s singles titles at the All England Open Badminton Championships in 1993 and 1994, as well as the 1995 World Championships men’s singles title, and climbed to the number one spot in men’s singles in 1995. Tri Kusharjanto is a renowned mixed doubles player who earned silver in the mixed doubles at the 2000 Olympics. Although these two Indonesian players have an impressive track record, alas, time waits for no one, while the Taiwanese pair grew increasingly stronger. Their defense was outstanding, and their aerial smashes were extremely sharp. Especially in the final stages of the third set, the Taiwanese pair gained the upper hand in stamina, gradually taking the lead, and ultimately defeated their opponents.