KUALA LUMPUR: Defending champions China had to dig deep to avoid a surprise defeat to Indonesia, winning 3-2 yesterday in the quarterfinals of the Sudirman Cup.
Two days after whipping their archrivals 5-0 in a group match, China, who have not lost a tie since falling 2-3 to South Korea in the 2003 final, were stunned by a determined and gallant Indonesian outfit.
But Chinese supremo Li Yongbo was unperturbed. China are eyeing their fifth consecutive win in the biennial event.
“We have won it for so many times — eight times,” the coach said.
“I don’t mind if we lose it as long as my players show their determination and fighting spirit... Sometimes it’s good for other teams to win it.” Indonesia’s Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir gave the 1989 champions a dream start when they defeated the world number one mixed doubles pairing of Ma Jin and Xu Chen 21-18, 14-21, 21-16.
China’s Chen Long, as expected, levelled the scores when he beat Tommy Sugiarto 21-11, 21-15. But then Rian Agung Saputro and Angga Pratama edged Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng 19-21, 21-18, 21-15.
Coach Li blamed “a few bad line calls” for the men’s doubles loss, saying he was “very disappointed with the umpiring.”
Introducing technology to review disputed line-calls, as in tennis and football, is being tested at the cup, but it can’t be used to challenge decisions yet.
“But I’m not going to take anything away from Indonesia... They have performed above expectation,” Li said.
The Chinese women then turned on the power as Olympic champion Li Xuerui outclassed Lindaweni Fanetri 21-16, 21-13, and world champions Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli beat Liliyana Natsir and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari 21-12, 21-19.
Indonesian manager Rexy Mainaky said the team made a “tactical gamble” by fielding Natsir, a strong player, in the mixed and women’s doubles.
“Nonetheless, I’m quite pleased with the way the team performed, and with a bit of luck, we could have won the tie,” the former Olympic champion said.
Meanwhile, South Korea kept up their performance of reaching every Sudirman Cup semi-final when they outclassed Germany 3-0.
The three-time champions were simply too strong for the European champion with their mixed doubles pairing of Ko Sung-Hyun and Kim Ha-Na charting the way, followed by a hard fought men’s singles match and then a men’s doubles victory.
“We expected to win and march on, and we all did exactly what we were expected to do,” said Lee Yong-Dae, who played in the men’s doubles.
South Korea will now face either Japan or Thailand. The two teams are playing later Thursday as are Taiwan and Denmark in another quarter-final.
Germany coach Holger Hasse said the team was “disappointed” with the all-out defeat.
“I thought we could steal a point or two,” he said.
China survives Indonesia scare in Sudirman Cup
China survives Indonesia scare in Sudirman Cup
Inaugural Kidzink Pearl Cup wraps up at Dubai Offshore Club
- Sailors aged 8-18 competed in the Optimist Coached, Optimist, ILCA 4, 29er and RS Feva classes
DUBAI: The inaugural Kidzink Pearl Cup wrapped up in Dubai after welcoming more than 100 youth sailors from 17 countries for one of the Middle East’s first international open youth sailing regattas.
Held from Dec. 15-21 at Dubai Offshore Sailing Club with the support of Dubai Sports Council, the Kidzink Pearl Cup brought together sailors aged 8-18 to compete in the Optimist Coached, Optimist, ILCA 4, 29er and RS Feva classes.
Backed by global educational design company Kidzink as title sponsor and strategic partner, the event combined four days of competitive racing with ideal windy conditions, with three days of Olympic-level coaching delivered by an international coaching team, giving young sailors the chance to train and race in competitive and challenging conditions alongside peers from different countries and sailing cultures.
The young sailors also took part in interactive onshore sessions developed with Kidzink’s research team, with the event putting the focus on leadership, inclusivity and clean-water awareness.
Charlotte Borghesi, founder and general manager of Kidzink, said: “The energy throughout the week was incredible. You could see learning happening in real time, friendships forming on the dock and young sailors growing in confidence every day.
The Kidzink Pearl Cup is about more than racing, it’s about creating an environment where young people feel inspired, supported and excited to learn.”
A two-time world champion sailor herself, Borghesi brings first-hand experience to the event, having made history in 2023 as the first female helmswoman to win the SB20 World Championship, followed by her team’s victory at the SB20 Women’s World Sailing Championship in Singapore in 2025.
Alongside the racing program, sailors took part in Kidzink’s interactive learning sessions. The UAE sessions built on work first piloted at the Kidzink-supported 29er Class European and World Championships earlier this year.
Local talent featured strongly throughout the week, with members of the DOSC racing squad lining up alongside international competitors. Among them were 14-year-old Chloe Montanet and 12-year-old Edward West.
In the Optimist Coached fleet, first place was claimed by Lev Ryashin (RUS), followed by Matteo Bertucci (ITA) in second and Gonzalo Montero (ESP) in third.
In the Optimist class Jean-Luc Herve (UAE) topped the podium, followed by Xuan Ya Tong (KSA) in second, and Miquel Rossello-Collinge (ESP) rounding out the podium.
The ILCA 4 title went to Fynley Britton (GBR), with Indraneel Roy (IND), and Katyayani Kaushik (IND) completing the podium.
In the 29er fleet, Dominic West and Fynley Britton took top honours, followed by Lily Britton and Matteo Gardenghi in second place with Noah Fisk and Alex Simmonds third.
The RS Feva Coached podium consisted of Ameya Rahul Nair and Arya Khanna in first, Miles Wilson-Brown and Noah Kahlon second, and Finlay Henderson and Rayan Abdallah third.
“Our work in sailing reflects our broader mission to design and create educational environments and experiences where young people thrive,” Borghesi added. “The Kidzink Pearl Cup is just the beginning of much more to come.”
