Indonesia Badminton Loses World Championship Pair and Mixed Doubles Coach
Indonesia’s badminton programme faced two setbacks ahead of the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi, India. The mixed‑doubles pair of Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu withdrew from the tournament, with the BWF’s updated entry list showing their withdrawal on 29 July 2026. Their exit removed one of Indonesia’s representatives from the championships. A standby pair, Dejan Ferdinansyah and Bernadine Anindya Wardana, was offered promotion but also declined.
In a separate development, Nova Widianto, who has served as Malaysia’s national mixed‑doubles head coach since January 2023, announced he will leave the Badminton Association of Malaysia on 31 July 2026 to take over the mixed‑doubles programme of the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) starting in August. During his tenure, Widianto guided Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei to Malaysia’s first mixed‑doubles world title at the 2025 BWF World Championships. Following his departure, Toh Ee Wei posted a public thank‑you message on Instagram, praising Widianto’s mentorship.
Entities: Badminton Association of Indonesia · Badminton Association of Malaysia · Chen Tang Jie · Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu · Jafar Hidayatullah · Nova Widianto · Rionny Mainaky · Toh Ee Wei
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu withdrew from the BWF World Championships 2026.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The withdrawal was recorded on 29 July 2026.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Indonesia lost a representative at the 2026 World Championships in New Delhi, India.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Nova Widianto has been Malaysia’s mixed doubles head coach since January 2023.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Toh Ee Wei posted a thank‑you message to Nova Widianto on Instagram after his departure.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Nova Widianto will leave the Badminton Association of Malaysia on 31 July 2026 to join the Badminton Association of Indonesia as mixed doubles head.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Dejan Ferdinansyah and Bernadine Anindya Wardana were offered promotion but declined.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Under Nova Widianto, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei won the 2025 BWF World Championships, Malaysia's first mixed doubles world title.