The contingent from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FMIPA UI), successfully won first place in the team badminton competition after defeating the Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia (FIB UI), in the final match. The competition was held by UI in celebration of its 73rd anniversary.
The final match between FMIPA and FIB took place at the UI Gymnasium in Depok on Wednesday afternoon (February 15, 2023). Each match consisted of 3 doubles games. The competition used a knockout system, meaning that the team that lost could not advance to the next round, and each match followed the principle of “The Best of Three Games.”
The match opened with the men’s doubles. The FMIPA men’s doubles pair, Rachmat Hanggoro and Sumardi, took the lead in the first set, but unfortunately, they had to accept defeat in the second and third sets.
FMIPA’s deficit in the men’s doubles was then decisively answered by the women’s doubles pair, Annisa Nurul Fitri and Nur Intan Pratiwi, who won two straight sets against the FIB women’s doubles team, with scores of 21–15 and 21–12. At this stage, the match score between the two faculties was tied at 1–1. The victory of FMIPA’s women’s doubles also served as a ticket for the FMIPA mixed doubles pair to continue the fight in the deciding round.
Not wanting to waste the opportunity, the FMIPA UI mixed doubles pair, Sabrina Salwa Anandita (Geography 2021) and Rustam, managed to defeat the FIB UI men’s doubles team in straight sets, 21–10 and 21–18. This score secured FMIPA UI as the champion with a final score of 2–1 over FIB.
Dr. Tito Latif Indra, M.Si., Vice Dean of Resources, Ventura, and General Administration at FMIPA UI, who was present at the match venue, told the FMIPA UI public relations team that his attendance, along with his colleagues from the faculty, was to fully support the contingent during the final. He expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the contingent, which consisted of staff, educational personnel, and students.
“I know very well that they train seriously and intensively, so they must be fully supported and encouraged by colleagues in the faculty,” said Dr. Tito.
He added that FMIPA UI facilitates its academic community and members who have talent and a passion for badminton by providing two badminton courts on the fourth floor of the FMIPA UI central administration building.
Those facilities have been well utilized by the FMIPA UI academic community and members, with regular training sessions scheduled every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. According to him, there are quite a number of FMIPA UI members and academic community who enjoy playing badminton, so it is no surprise that they are well prepared for competitions.
“We at FMIPA UI do train quite intensively in badminton every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. Even when we are not preparing for a competition, we usually continue to practice regularly or simply play for exercise. So perhaps this routine is what makes the players better prepared,” he added.
For this victory, the FMIPA UI badminton contingent will receive an award and a prize worth IDR 10,000,000, which will be presented symbolically on February 22, 2023, during the peak event of UI’s 73rd anniversary celebration.
