Indonesian Badminton Player Anthony Sinisuka Ginting Disappointed with Early Olympic Exit

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian badminton player Anthony Sinisuka Ginting expressed his disappointment after being eliminated from the group stage of the badminton competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Indonesian shuttler lost to host nation representative Toma Junior Popov 19-21, 21-17, 15-21 in a grueling 87-minute match on Wednesday, July 31.

“I'm disappointed and upset with this result. I gave it my all, but it wasn't enough. Popov was indeed better today. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses well, and today’s game is not much different from the previous one,” Ginting said in a written statement released by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) on Thursday, August 1.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist acknowledged Popov's aggressive playing style and anticipated a tough match. “Toma was more all-out, especially in the third game. I tried to stay calm, but I couldn't counter his pressure effectively,” Ginting added.

The ninth seed also attributed Popov's strong performance to the home crowd support. “The crowd definitely gave Popov an extra boost. I felt the same level of enthusiasm, but there was a slight difference that ultimately decided the match,” he said.

With Ginting's elimination, Indonesia now has only two remaining representatives in badminton: women's singles player Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, who advanced to the round of 16, and men's doubles pair Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, who qualified for the quarterfinals.

This marks the first time since the introduction of the group format at the 2012 London Olympics that Indonesia has failed to have a representative in the men's singles main draw.

ARKHELAUS WISNU TRIYOGO

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