BANGKOK: Indonesian men's singles ace Anthony Sinisuka Ginting is confident that his team will be able to defend the Thomas Cup in this year's edition here after winning it in Aarhus, Denmark, last year.
Anthony said he and his teammates were eager to try their best to end the competition at Bangkok's Impact Arena with their 15th title in the world's most prestigious team badminton tournament.
“I am confident that Indonesia can be champions again, but we must try step by step in every match first here,“ he told Bernama.
Even without the presence of one of ‘The Minions’, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon, who was the cornerstone of his team’s success when they won their 14th title in Aarhus, while pairing up with Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, Anthony believes this has not weakened his team in the competition in Thailand.
Marcus had to forget about this Thomas Cup as he is still recovering from injury he suffered recently.
Anthony explained that the involvement of All England 2022 men's doubles champions Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana in their line-up strengthens the challenge of the Indonesian squad this time.
Meanwhile, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medallist admitted that his performances has plummeted lately including losing twice in a row to world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 13-21, 14-21 and host player Kunlavut Vitidsarn, 12 -21, 21-15, 9-21 in Group A action in Bangkok.
Although Anthony lost in both matches, Indonesia nevertheless managed to overcome Singapore and Thailand by 4-1 margins.
“It’s true that my performance has dipped but I will try to bounce back up after this,“ he added.-Bernama
