Indonesia Ends 28-Year Drought With Historic Asian Games Men's Team Gold Comeback Against China

The narrative surrounding Indonesian men's badminton had long insisted that their golden era in team events was a closed chapter, permanently eclipsed by China's modern dynasty. On Thursday at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, a squad of young Indonesian players shattered that assumption, overturning a 2-0 deficit against the defending champions to claim their first Asian Games men's team gold since 1998.[1][2]

The victory ends a 28-year drought that has weighed heavily on a nation where badminton is the premier sport and a profound source of national identity. Since their last triumph in Bangkok, the Indonesian men's team had repeatedly fallen short on the continental stage, often stymied by the sheer depth of the Chinese roster.[2][3]

China entered the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya final as the overwhelming favorites, seeking a third consecutive Asian Games men's team title. Having already swept the women's team gold a day earlier with a dominant 3-0 victory over Japan, the Chinese squad appeared poised to complete a clean sweep of the team events and reinforce their absolute supremacy in the sport.[4][5]

The opening singles rubber seemed to confirm that trajectory. Former world champion Shi Yuqi systematically dismantled Jonatan Christie, controlling the pace and the net to secure a 21-13, 21-18 straight-games victory. The result immediately placed Indonesia on the back foot, demanding a flawless performance from the rest of the lineup.[1][2]

The pressure compounded in the first doubles match, which evolved into a grueling physical battle. The Chinese pair of Feng Yanzhe and Liang Weikeng narrowly took the first game before Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri fought back to claim the second. However, the Chinese duo found another gear in the decider, closing out the match 22-20, 19-21, 21-14 and pushing Indonesia to the absolute brink of elimination.[1][5]

Facing a 2-0 deficit, 21-year-old Alwi Farhan stepped onto the court against Li Shifeng for the second singles rubber knowing a single mistake would end the tie. In what became the turning point of the final, Farhan matched Li's aggression and outlasted him in a grueling 23-21, 15-21, 21-16 marathon, finally putting Indonesia on the board and injecting life into the bench.[2][5]

That hard-fought victory triggered a massive shift in psychological momentum. In the second doubles match, Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin capitalized on the sudden vulnerability in the Chinese camp. The Indonesian pair needed just 45 minutes to dismantle He Jiting and Liu Yi, surging through the second game to win 23-21, 21-10. In less than an hour, a seemingly insurmountable Chinese lead had evaporated, leveling the tie at 2-2.[1][5]

The gold medal ultimately rested on the shoulders of 19-year-old Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah, who faced China's Weng Hongyang in the decisive fifth match. Despite his youth and the immense stakes, Ubaidillah delivered a remarkably composed performance, dictating the rallies to win 23-21, 21-13 and complete one of the greatest comebacks in Asian Games history.[2][4]

"I kept reassuring myself to stay calm on the court, and the coach also gave me confidence," Ubaidillah said following the match, acknowledging the weight of the moment. "We were down 0-2 at first, but I tried not to let negative thoughts get to me."[4]

The 3-2 victory secured Indonesia's first gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games across all sports, sparking widespread national celebration and lifting the country in the overall medal standings. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto personally called the team to offer his congratulations, urging them to "keep fighting" in the upcoming individual events.[4][5]

The All-Indonesia Badminton Association captured the national mood in a statement released shortly after the final point: "We present the gold medal to our beloved Indonesia. For you, our country, we give our body and soul!"[5]

The result denies China a sweep of the team events and reshapes the hierarchy of men's badminton heading toward the 2028 Olympics. For Indonesia, the emergence of teenagers like Ubaidillah and Farhan on the sport's biggest continental stage provides concrete evidence that their 28-year wait for team gold will not be repeated.[2][4]