Indonesia’s rising men’s doubles pair, Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, are enjoying a successful run of form, but coaches are cautioning against placing immediate championship expectations on the young team.
A new generation is emerging in Indonesian men’s doubles, following in the footsteps of legendary teams like Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo/Marcus Fernaldi Gideon. The torch is now being carried by players such as Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
Alongside Fajar/Shohibul, teams like Bagas Maulana/Leo Rolly Carnando and Muhammad Rian Ardianto/Rahmat Hidayat are also making their mark, with the young duo of Raymond/Joaquin quickly gaining attention.
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Raymond/Joaquin have been on a roll, finishing as runners-up in back-to-back tournaments at the Indonesia Masters and Thailand Masters. This success builds on their earlier triumph at the Australia Open, signaling a consistent upward trajectory.
Men’s doubles coach, Antonius Budi Ariantho, believes his players are progressing well. “I think their achievements have been quite quality,” he said. “Especially since they are young players, their journey is still long. From the results in Malaysia, Indonesia Masters, and Thailand Masters, they’ve reached the finals twice. That’s positive for the future.”
However, Anton stressed the importance of patience and a focus on development. He wants to avoid putting undue pressure on Raymond/Joaquin that could hinder their growth.
“We shouldn’t expect too much too soon, just due to the fact that they’ve reached the finals twice doesn’t mean they should be champions right away,” he explained. “But they did win the Australian Open previously. We need to take things one step at a time.”
“We’ll evaluate the weaknesses of the Raymond/Joaquin pairing, but considering their age and recent results, I think their trend is good. Their direction is good, and they have potential for the future.”
“We’ll continue to evaluate their individual shortcomings and their performance as a pair in every training session,” he added.
The veteran coach also highlighted the value of gaining experience. He noted that Raymond/Joaquin are just beginning to compete in elite-level tournaments like Super 1000 events.
“They’ve only recently started playing in the Super 500 series. They only played once in Australia, right? Then they competed in Malaysia, the Indonesia Masters, and now the Thailand Masters. It’s still early days,” he said.
“I think we shouldn’t rush things. I don’t want people expecting them to win championships right away. That’s my view. It takes time. It takes process, okay?” Anton emphasized.
(mcy/krs)
