Badminton player Jonatan Christie marked his debut appearance as a first singles player with a victory that gave Indonesia a 1-0 lead over Algeria in the opening match of Group D of the 2026 Thomas Cup at the Horsens Forum, Denmark.
Jonatan put on a convincing performance to win two straight games 21-8, 21-6 over Algeria's first singles player Adel Hamek.
"This is also my first time playing in the Thomas Cup as the first singles player. It does come with a certain amount of responsibility, but I'll try my best to give my best performance," Jonatan said after the match, according to an official statement from the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI).
The athlete, known as Jojo, admitted that winning the opening match was not only important in terms of the score, but also in creating a positive atmosphere for his teammates who would compete next.
"The important thing is a positive aura for fighting spirit , enthusiasm that can be transmitted to friends," he said.
