At the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Central Europe lies the country of Azerbaijan, a nation not typically associated with the fastest racket sport in the world of badminton. But recent steps have set in motion a change to that.
Azerbaijan took a major foothold in the European badminton community when hosting the European Games in 2015, where badminton was a significant sporting attraction. This would have given the sport great exposure to the local population. However, in the short-term, to compete on the European circuit, Azerbaijan has developed close ties with the global badminton powerhouse, Indonesia. The two Islamic countries were able to find opportunities for players from the hotbed of talent in Indonesia to move to Baku and re-nationalise as Azerbaijani.
Ade Resky Dwicahyo, 21, is one such player. Now at 71 in the world in men’s singles and settling into his new life, one can only expect to be seeing a lot more of him at the elite level of European badminton. Speaking about how he is coping with the current pause in play, Dwicahyo says.
- I am trying to observe quarantine rules as all people do it at the moment. If not necessary, I do not leave my home. In order to keep my competition form, I do my daily training at home under my coach`s instructions. Morteza Validarvi, head coach of our national team keeps in touch with me. I hope that mankind will be safe from this global disaster and I will be back on the court soon.
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The skills that I have
Last year, Dwicahyo featured in no less than five title finals, winning the Egypt and Cameroon Internationals. In Milan, for the Italian International, he defeated the number one seed Brice Leverdez, showing a glimpse of the level he is able to play at. Commenting on this moment, he states.
- It was an unforgettable moment when I won 2-1 against France’s Brice Leverdez, the last European Championship`s runner-up. Such a victory greatly inspires me for the future.
Discussing the reasoning behind his badminton journey taking him to Azerbaijan, he explains.
- As you know, I am of Indonesian origin. Indonesia is one of the strongest badminton countries in the world. While receiving a proposal from Azerbaijan, I would get higher chances to be represented in world championships and Olympic games. I have been successfully representing the Azerbaijan Badminton Federation in international competitions already for three years. In this period, I witnessed how much the Federation has done for the development of badminton. Being here in Azerbaijan, I am a part of this development program. The systematic and positive activity of the Federation is one of the key elements of my success.
It is great to see more nations represented in badminton, especially with title-winning performances that will forever be forged in history. Asking Dwicahyo about his big aspirations over the coming few years, he answers.
- I want to try to produce my best performances with all the skills that I have. I would like to play as well as I can and make my fans very happy. Playing against the likes Kento Momota, Chen Long and other top players of the world would be unbelievable moments in my career.
- My main goal for the nearest future is to play successfully in the European championship to be held in Kyiv, which is postponed because of coronavirus and the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, Dwicahyo adds.