Indonesian shuttler Alwi out to write his own legacy
KUALA LUMPUR: Indonesian rising star Alwi Farhan is determined not to be remembered as a one-hit wonder following his stunning upset over world No. 3 Anders Antonsen at the Sudirman Cup.
The world No. 31, who replaced world No. 5 Jonatan Christie in the group tie against Denmark, helped fire Indonesia to a 4-1 victory in the world team event last month.
Alwi, the 2023 world junior champion, has since attracted attention from legends including Taufik Hidayat, and now has his sights set on bigger achievements on the World Tour.
"Beating Antonsen is so far my biggest breakthrough," said Alwi at the Axiata Arena on Monday.
"But I want it to be the start of more wins against top-10 players. I'm aiming for at least one World Tour title this year."
The 20-year-old has long idolised Jonatan and fellow Indonesian ace Anthony Ginting, and believes he can one day surpass them.
"I grew up watching Jonatan and Ginting. I want to match them and then go beyond," said Alwi.
"It's sad that Jonatan has decided to turn professional, but I've learnt so much from being around the senior team this past year."
He also credited 2004 Olympic champion Taufik as a source of inspiration and motivation.
"Taufik is someone all young players in Indonesia look up to. He's a legend and always has advice to share."
While Alwi has dreams of Olympic gold, he knows the road ahead is long.
"My long-term goal is to win gold at the Olympics, but I have to take it step by step. Right now, it's about beating top players consistently and winning World Tour titles."
Alwi will get the chance to make another statement at the Malaysia Masters, which starts Tuesday.
He faces Taiwan's world No. 41 Su Li Yang in the first round on Wednesday.
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