From Sumatra to Sulawesi, the Efforts to Find Super Talents are Expanding

The Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation is once again holding the PB Djarum 2026 General Audition as part of its ongoing commitment to producing Indonesia's golden generation of badminton players. This year, the auditions will be held in three cities! Starting with Pekanbaru, Riau Province on July 7-12, then Makassar, South Sulawesi Province on August 4-9, and Kudus, Central Java Province on September 8-13.

In the city of Pekanbaru, the PB Djarum 2026 General Audition will be held at GOR Angkasa, Payung Sekaki District. Meanwhile, in Makassar, it will take place at GOR Dafest, Biringkanaya District. The climax will be in Kudus, once again centered at GOR Djarum, Jati District.

This year, the search for talented and champion-mentality badminton players will target three age groups: U-11 (participants aged 8–10 years or born in 2016–2018), KU 11 (participants aged 11 years or born in 2015), and KU 12 (participants aged 12 years or born in 2014), both male and female.

The Program Director of the Djarum Foundation's Bakti Olahraga and also the Chairman of PB Djarum, Yoppy Rosimin, revealed that holding auditions in three cities this year is part of the effort to expand the search for young talent throughout Indonesia. Additionally, the decision to hold auditions in several cities again was in response to requests from participants, athletes' parents, and regional clubs to not only focus on Java Island.

"Since 2022 until 2025, the PB Djarum General Audition has been centered in Kudus. However, in previous years, we also held it in various cities, even up to nine cities." This year, we are expanding our reach again by being present in Pekanbaru and Makassar as an effort to attract even more talent. Not only those on the island of Java, but also from Sumatra and Sulawesi. We hope that this year we can discover the hidden pearls that have yet to surface," said Yoppy.

The Head of the Talent Scouting Team for the PB Djarum 2026 General Audition, Sigit Budiarto, stated that this year's selection process is still designed to be strict and competitive in order to find young athletes with exceptional qualities. The 1997 World Champion added that the annual routine of holding auditions is part of the effort to maintain the continuity of the athlete development chain at PB Djarum.

"We hope that thru this audition, we can find outstanding talents who are not only technically strong but also possess a unique playing character and a champion's mentality." That combination is important to form athletes with super quality who are capable of competing at the highest level," explained Sigit.

The Talent Scouting Team will be strengthened by the coaches of PB Djarum, with Hendrawan as the Coordinator for Female Athletes and Leonard Holvy de Pauw as the Coordinator for Male Athletes. In addition, a lineup of Indonesian badminton legends will also be present to monitor the talents of the participants in the PB Djarum 2026 General Audition from the very first day.

Hendrawan's involvement in this year's PB Djarum General Audition is the first since he officially joined PB Djarum last year as the Technical Advisor for Men's & Women's Singles. The 2001 World Champion enthusiastically welcomed his new role in the audition process, which he believes is a proactive step in scouting talent from a young age.

"This audition is one way to scout for talent and open up broader opportunities for new prospects. Especially since this year it is being held in three cities, it becomes a great opportunity for players in regions who might have previously found it difficult to reach Kudus." "The hope is that we can find more new talents than before," said Hendrawan.

Regarding the criteria for female athletes, Hendrawan explained that the assessment approach will also adapt to the dynamics of the game in the future. However, what caught the attention of the 2002 Thomas Cup Champion was the new scoring system implemented by the BWF, which is 15 points x 3 games (best of three) that will take effect starting January 2027.

"Moving forward with a game format that tends to be faster, technical factors are becoming increasingly important." For female athletes, we see mastery of technique, footwork, and court control as the main aspects. However, this does not overlook other factors such as mental strength and character. Fighting spirit is also one of the things we pay attention to, especially when they enter the final phases of selection," he explained.

Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Men's Talent Scouting Team, Leonard Holvy de Pauw, emphasized that the search for talent in the men's sector now focuses on a combination of technical fundamentals, character, and playing intelligence. He mentioned that PB Djarum wants to recruit athletes who already have a good foundation in strokes, footwork, and power from the beginning, and who are able to adapt to the fast-paced game tempo that demands high aggression and endurance.

"We are looking for players who have a strong foundation, are aggressive, and have high endurance. But the most important thing is athletes who are smart and have a fighting spirit. Smart here means they can read the game and anticipate the opponent early on, making their play more efficient." In addition, we also look at the character of players from outside Java, especially from Sumatra and Sulawesi, who generally have stronger strength, fighting spirit, and physicality. This becomes an important asset that we can further develop thru training at PB Djarum," said Holvy.

Graduate of the PB Djarum General Audition 2018 Pekanbaru, Jolin Angelia, invites prospective participants to make the most of this event with thorough preparations. She believes that the PB Djarum General Audition is not just a selection process, but also a stage for young athletes to demonstrate their technical skills, physical readiness, and competitive mental toughness.

"In my opinion, this audition is a great opportunity to start a journey as a badminton athlete." So prepare yourself as best as you can, train intensively, and show your best abilities on the court. Don't give up easily if you haven't succeeded in joining, because everyone's process is different. "The important thing is to stay consistent in training and keep believing in your own abilities," said Jolin, who officially joined the PBSI National Training Center this year.

The series of selections for the PB Djarum 2026 General Audition began with a screening stage using a knockout system. The match lasts one game up to 21 points without deuce, with a change of sides at 11 points. Participants who qualify will advance to the tournament stage, which also uses a knockout system.

For the implementation in Pekanbaru and Makassar, the Super Ticket will be awarded to each champion, both in the male and female categories. Meanwhile, in Kudus, the male category that receives the Super Ticket is the semifinalist, while the female category is the finalist. They will proceed to the quarantine stage.

The quarantine phase will last for four weeks after the series of PB Djarum 2026 General Auditions in three cities are completed, from September 14 to October 9, 2026, with two elimination phases on September 28 and October 10, 2026. The final results of the PB Djarum 2026 General Auditions will be announced on October 10, 2026. Participants who pass this stage will receive the Djarum Badminton Scholarship and join PB Djarum.

Audition registration is conducted online thru the official PB Djarum website, which has been open since April 6 until September 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM WIB. Participants who pass the administrative stage are required to re-register on September 8, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM WIB, before participating in the selection stage from September 8 to 13, 2026, in Kudus.

To participate in the PB Djarum 2026 General Audition, prospective participants can register online thru the website https://pbdjarum.org/klub/beasiswa-bulutangkis.