Paris. Indonesian athletes delivered strong performances in their opening matches at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with standout victories in badminton and solid efforts in other sports.

Badminton Victories

In men’s singles badminton, Jonatan "Jojo" Christie defeated Belgium’s Julien Carraggi with scores of 18-21, 21-11, and 21-16 in Group L’s first match at Porte De La Chapelle Arena on Saturday.

"I need to be more patient, exert more pressure, and relax more," Jonatan said in a brief statement from the Indonesian Olympic Committee (NOC Indonesia) on Sunday.

Jonatan, the third seed in men’s singles, admitted feeling nervous as it was his first time playing in front of an Olympic audience. "Entering the court, there was some nervousness because it’s my first time playing in the Olympics with spectators, unlike Tokyo 2020, which was held without fans due to the pandemic. The atmosphere is very different," he explained.

Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, another men’s singles player, needed only 34 minutes to defeat American Howard Shu. Playing at Porte de la Chapelle, Paris, Ginting dominated Shu with straight sets, 21-14 and 21-8.

In women’s singles, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung won her first group stage match in Group G. On Sunday, she defeated Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova 21-10 and 21-15 in just 30 minutes at Porte de la Chapelle, Paris. Gregoria, ranked 9th, will next face Tereza Svabikova from the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

However, Indonesia’s mixed doubles pair Rinov Rivaldy and Pitha Haningtyas Mentari suffered a heavy defeat against the top-ranked Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong, losing 10-21, 3-21 in just 24 minutes. In women's doubles, Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti also faced two straight-set losses. "Apriyani/Fadia haven’t advanced to the next round, but the final match must still be fought for. An Olympic victory means a lot for future impact," said coach Eng Hian on Sunday. Earlier, Apriyani/Fadia lost to the top-seeded pair Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan (China) with scores of 12-21, 22-24, and to Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara with scores of 22-24, 15-21.

Other Sports Highlights

Indonesia’s women’s archery team triumphed over Malaysia, while La Memo, competing in men’s single sculls rowing, finished fifth at Nautica St - Flat Water on Saturday.

Gymnast Rifda Irfanaluthfi completed her all-around performance despite an injury. Competing at Bercy Arena, Paris, she scored 9.166 points on the uneven bars. Throughout the competition, Rifda endured pain from her meniscus and ACL injuries, requiring assistance from her coach Eva Novalina.

In surfing, Indonesian national team head coach Arya Subyakto mentioned that luck was not on Rio Waida’s side in the first round. Rio must compete in the second elimination round with South African Jordy Smith after finishing third in the first round at Teahupo'o Beach, Tahiti, French Polynesia, on Saturday.

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