Victor Lai arrived at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Senayan, as a Canadian player. However, part of his badminton journey has not been far from Indonesia.
Before becoming the player who dashed Jonatan Christie's hopes in the final of the 2026 BWF World Tour Super 1000 Polytron Indonesia Open , Victor studied in Indonesia. He arrived in 2016 to train with Jeffer Rosobin, one of the former Indonesian men's singles players.
"In 2016, I came to Indonesia to train with Coach Jeffer. So I have a close relationship with Indonesia," Victor said after the match.
Victor defeated Jonatan 21-19, 21-8 at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Sunday. The result earned him his first BWF World Tour Super 1000 title and the first Canadian player to win the Indonesia Open.
The victory felt like a stark contrast to the home crowd. On the one hand, Indonesia once again failed to see a men's singles representative reach the top of the podium. On the other hand, the player who dashed that hope had actually learned from Indonesia.
"I have a close connection to Indonesia. Many of my previous coaches, and even my current ones, are from Indonesia. I'm very fortunate to have the support of coaches from one of the best countries in the sport," said the player, who was born.
Victor's Indonesian roots didn't stop with a brief training session in 2016. He said the club he trained with in Canada also had Indonesian coaches. It was from these coaches that he gained significant influence in developing his game.
For Victor, Indonesia is no stranger. Indonesian badminton is also part of his childhood memories, as he learned about the sport of badminton.
He grew up watching world-class players. Taufik Hidayat, Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan, Kento Momota, Victor Axelsen, Jonatan Christie, and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting were among the spectacles that shaped his love of badminton.
"When I was younger, I used to watch all the great players like Kento Momota, Victor Axelsen, Jonatan Christie, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and others," said the 21-year-old.
One of Jonatan's most memorable moments still resonates with him. A coach once showed him a match where he turned the tables against Victor Axelsen at the 2019 French Open . Victor admitted he drew inspiration from it.
"I clearly remember one of my coaches showing me the moment when Jojo turned the tables against Victor Axelsen. It was very inspiring," he said.
Several years later, the player he once watched stood across the net. The difference was, this time, Victor wasn't a spectator. He was an opponent in the final of the Polytron Indonesia Open .
Jonatan received full support from the Istora crowd. Every point the host team scored was greeted with thunderous applause. But Victor withstood the pressure.
