Markis Kido an inspiration for younger players (pic)

BUKIT JALIL: Doubles specialist Markis Kido’s fearless attitude on and off the court is an inspiration to rising Indonesian pair Angga Pratama-Rian Agung Saputra.

Markis has proven that, despite the odds, anything is possible if one puts his heart and mind to achieving success. And Indonesians know what Markis has gone through – battling health problems and also a tiff with the national badminton body – to reach the top.

And Angga and Rian will be drawing inspiration from Markis’ achievements to defy the odds in search of glory in the ongoing Maybank Malaysian Open.

Markis, who partnered Hendra Setiawan to win the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2007 World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, has certainly gone through many ups and downs in his career.

Throughout his career, Markis has always put his passion for the sport above everything else. The stocky 29-year-old, who once had heart problems, is currently playing with a younger partner – Gideon Markus Fernaldi.

“We look up to him not because of his success but also his dedication. We are inspired by his desire to do things the right way and his determination to fight his way through anything,” said Angga.

“He is a national hero … what he has done for Indonesia is a great accomplishment,” added Rian.

Angga and Rian are ranked eighth in the world and are already showing their maturity in the sport despite being 23 and 24 respectively.

The pair, who skipped the season-opening Korean Open, hope to make their mark as Indonesia’s second pair behind the more established and reigning world champions Hendra Setiawan-Mohd Ahsan.

“We needed more preparation for the Malaysian Open as this Super Series Premier is more challenging,” said Angga.

On Wednesday, the duo made it to the second round after beating Denmark’s Mads Conrad-Petersen-Mads Pieler Kolding 21-16, 21-19.

They will face China’s fourth seeds and All-England champions Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan, a pair they beat at the World Championships in Guangzhou last year.

“To beat them again will serve as a huge confident booster for us,” added Rian, who revealed that he would have been a businessman if he wasn’t a badminton player.