BWF World Tour Finals 2024: Indonesia Trails Far Behind China

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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The recently concluded BWF World Tour Finals 2024 highlighted the current landscape of world badminton, with China dominating the competition while Indonesia faced significant challenges.

China achieved a clean sweep, claiming titles in men's singles through Shi Yu Qi, women's singles through Han Yue, and mixed doubles through Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong. This dominant performance firmed China's position as a leading power in world badminton throughout the year.

The BWF World Tour Finals serves as the climax of the season, showcasing the world's top-ranked badminton players. Unfortunately, Indonesia failed to qualify any of its athletes for the finals of this prestigious tournament. Furthermore, Indonesia struggled to achieve significant results in three out of the four BWF Super 1000 tournaments, the second-highest level of competition on the BWF World Tour.

The exception was Indonesia's performance at the All England Open, where Jonatan Christie achieved a historic victory in men's singles, ending a 30-year title drought for Indonesian players in the tournament. Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto also continued Indonesia's dominance in men's doubles at the All England, securing their fifth title in the last six editions.

Indonesia's performance in the BWF Super 750 tournaments, the third-highest level of competition, was less impressive. The nation failed to secure a single title in any of the six tournaments, including the Denmark Open, French Open, Japan Open, and India Open.

While Indonesia achieved some success in the BWF Super 500 tournaments (level four), securing four gold medals in the Indonesia Masters, Korea Open, Australia Open, and Japan Open, these victories were overshadowed by China's consistent domination across all levels of competition.

At the BWF Super 300 level (level five), Indonesia secured six gold medals, a respectable achievement but still lagging behind China, Thailand, and Japan. Only in the BWF Super 100 tournaments (level six) did Indonesia achieve comparable results to China, with both nations securing a similar number of gold medals.

Overall, China collected a total of 54 gold medals across all levels of tournaments, including 11 titles each in the BWF Super 1000 and Super 750 categories. China also achieved victories in prestigious team events, winning both the Thomas Cup and the Uber Cup by defeating Indonesia in the finals.

At the 2024 Olympic Games, China secured two gold medals and three silver medals, while Indonesia managed to claim only one bronze medal, won by women's singles player Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.

Similarly, at the 2024 Asian Championships, China dominated, claiming three out of the five gold medals. Jonatan Christie emerged as the sole Indonesian champion, defeating Li Shifeng in the men's singles final. Notably, Jonatan and the men's doubles pairs of Leo/Daniel and Leo/Bagas each achieved significant victories in their respective tournaments (Indonesia Masters, Korea Open, and Japan Open) after reaching the finals as the sole Indonesian representatives.

China's consistent success in badminton can be attributed to several key factors. Their vast population of 1.4 billion people provides a massive talent pool for the sport. Furthermore, China has leveraged the agility, speed, skill, and strategic aspects of badminton, which align well with the strengths of Asian athletes.

China has also implemented a comprehensive and well-structured badminton development program, including a highly competitive domestic league, specialized sports schools, and advanced sports science training programs. This integrated approach has consistently produced top-tier athletes who excel at all levels of international competition.

No other country has consistently demonstrated the same level of sustained success in producing world-class badminton players as China. This dominance has been evident throughout 2024, with China consistently outperforming Indonesia and other leading badminton nations.

For Indonesia, 2024 has been a year of mixed results. While the All England Open victory by Jonatan Christie and Anthony Ginting marked a historic achievement, Indonesia still faces substantial challenges in consistently competing at the highest levels of international badminton.

Champion Titles in BWF World Tour Events (World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, and Super 300):