Source: REUTERS/ALAN BALDWIN
[Saba Sports News] Recent reports have revealed
that Pramudya Kusumawardana, a prominent Indonesian men’s doubles badminton
player, has acquired Australian citizenship and is expected to represent the
Australian team in international badminton events in 2028. It is known that
Rianto previously formed a successful partnership with Yacob Rambitan and even
won the All England Open. However, his performance declined significantly
during the 2023 season, leading to criticism from Indonesian media. He
subsequently announced his retirement at the age of 23. Surprisingly, just six
months after retiring, he resurfaced as an Australian national. This raised
doubts among Indonesian fans about Rianto’s original motivations for retiring.
Australia’s badminton scene is considered relatively weak, and the country has
been bolstering its strength through naturalized players. Tang Yuan Ting, a
former Chinese women’s doubles player, previously joined the Australian team.
Some fans argue that integrating exceptional players through naturalization can
enhance the development of badminton and stimulate the local badminton economy.
As an example, the recent 2024 Swiss Badminton Open saw the Australian women’s
doubles team of Setyana Mapasa and Angela YU reach the top four. Notably, Yu
Yajie is the daughter of former Chinese national player Tang Hetian. Tang
Hetian, a renowned Chinese badminton player who once held the world’s
second-ranking, has been victorious in prestigious competitions such as the
Sudirman Cup and Uber Cup. After retiring from the national team, Tang Hetian
married her former national teammate Yu Qi and later immigrated to Australia,
contributing significantly to the development of Australian badminton.