Marcus Fernaldi Gideon will be on the operating table to recover from his injury. Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo was also need to choose a new sparring partner. The men’s doubles coach, Herry Iman Pierngadi, revealed that Kevin chose to partner Rahmat Hidayat. This was conveyed by Herry Iman Pierngadi when met at the PBSI National Training Center, Cipayung, East Jakarta, Wednesday (26/8/2023).
“So, my answer was that last week I gave Kevin a choice, it turns out that Kevin chose Rahmat,” said Herry to the media. Herry revealed that there was one other player who was an option for Kevin’s sparring partner, namely Daniel Edgar.
“Earlier there was one player too, Daniel Edgar. But maybe the communication was lacking. Kevin said the communication was not good,” said Herry again. “Maybe it’s because it’s too beginner (level), while Rahmat is already at the main (level). They often plays sparring, sometimes he’s invited to go out too. So, he decided to choose Rahmat,” he said.
Furthermore, Herry explained that Kevin and Rahmat’s progress would be monitored for at least the next 6 months while waiting for Marcus to recover. “So for about the next 6 months while waiting for Gideon to finish his operation. See how things develop, there are several tournaments they have to participate in. However, the points must be counted,” said Herry.
“Kevin/Marcus’ points are halved, Rahmat and his partner are also divided and combined. We can arrange the combined points for the match. We first sort out the tournaments they participate in,” he said.
Knowing that he would be paired with Kevin, Rahmat admitted that he was surprised. Moreover, he and Kevin are both forwards. “Definitely surprised, because they are both forwards. However, I am trying to make up for the shortcoming of being a defender as well,” said Rahmat. “You are both defenders too. So we can complement each other,” Rahmat continued.
As for Marcus’s surgery schedule, Herry said he would still consult with the doctor. “He consulted the doctor. He had to consult with Prof. Nico. Later, after receiving the doctor’s input, he will let me know,” he said.
