After a spectacular week, Indonesian Men's singles Champion has been decided & he is none other than Kidambi Srikanth of India who defeated Japanese qualifier Kazumasa Sakai in straight games 21-11 21-19 in a high-quality match to clinch his second Super Series Premier crown.
Mulyo Handoyo is an extremely popular figure in Indonesia as he has been the man behind legendary Taufik Hidayat, who is a legend in the south-east-Asian nation. Mulyo was roped as a coach to assist Pulella Gopichand earlier this year & no doubt his appointment is doing wonders to Indian badminton.
In an interview Mulyo had stated that he saw a "future champion" in Srikanth & his prediction has come true as Srikanth clinched to a two-game win over his Japanese rival.
Since Handoyo’s arrival, there has been a rise in India’s singles players – from PV Sindhu’s twin titles in Lucknow and Delhi, Sai Praneeth’s double in Singapore and Thailand, and Srikanth’s current win along with his runners-up finish at the Singapore Open.
Srikanth praised Handoyo's contributions to the game and stated “His contribution to my game has been incredible,” he said. “He has already made a special place in my heart.”
Not just Kidambi, Prannoy had a memorable week too as he defeated the legendary Lee Chong Wei in straight games in the second round and followed it up with an astonishing win over China's Chen Long, the reigning Olympic champion.
Handoyo’s contribution is doing wonders & it will be interesting to see how he will shape Indian shuttlers for "Tokyo Olympics 2020".