Indonesian mixed doubles pair Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu have set a realistic target for the 2026 Asian Championships (BAC) following their less-than-optimal results throughout the European tour.
Felisha said a thorough evaluation had been conducted, especially because their performance was not optimal due to several factors, including their physical condition which was still in the process of recovering from injury.
"There's quite a lot to evaluate from the European tour. There are still many aspects that need to be improved, as the results haven't been optimal. That's what needs to be fixed to return to peak performance, and if possible, even better," said Felisha at the PBSI Cipayung National Training Center.
In two tournaments on the Blue Continent, Jafar/Felisha were stopped in the second round of the Super 1000 All England on March 3-8, and reached the quarterfinals at the Super 300 Swiss Open on March 10-15.
He revealed that the elbow injury he has been experiencing since the Super 500 Indonesia Masters on January 20-25 also affected his performance in Europe.
"By the time I reached the Indonesia Masters semifinals, my hand was already really sore, even lifting it was difficult. But out of responsibility, I still tried to play as hard as I could," he said.
After the tournament, Felisha underwent a recovery period by resting her hand for about three weeks and only doing lower body physical exercises and light training to maintain her condition.
When he returned to full training on the field, he admitted that he still felt a little worried when hitting because the injured area had not fully recovered, which had an impact on the technical aspects of his game.
"When I returned to training, I was a little afraid to hit because I still felt sore, so my technique wasn't optimal. But now I'm much better and I can adjust my posture," said Felisha.
Ahead of the 2026 Asian Championships, Felisha said their preparations are now much better than during the European tour, although there are still several things that need to be maximized in the remaining training time.
"Preparations are better now than they were during the European tour. There are still a few days of practice, so hopefully we can fix any shortcomings," he said.
