i used to experience this, at first it looked like bad luck… one pair of jeans, then another, then another, always tearing at the exact same spot like clockwork
my then girlfriend joked about it, even blamed the tailor once but deep down it didn’t sit right. fabric doesn’t just fail in the same place unless something keeps pushing it there… pressure, friction or repetition.
then she gradually started noticing the pattern beyond my jeans
long hours sitting in one position, constant movement in tight denim , even weight gain or the wrong fit forcing stress into that seam every single day.. it wasn’t random anymore, it was wear and tension quietly building until something gave
most times, it’s not about the pants… it’s about the habits wearing them down.
There are some young athletes who somehow have something different. Something beyond the required technical skills. That indefinable “X factor” which you just sense gives them the potential to develop into something special.
I sensed that when I saw Hendra Setiawan and his partner, the late Markis Kido, defeat the former world champions Sigit Budiarto and Candra Wijaya in the final of the 2005 Indonesia Open. So too when I first saw both Tai Tzu Ying and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo.
All had that something extra. Something I can’t quite pinpoint or describe but could tangibly sense was both special and different when compared to other talented youngsters.
I got that same feeling watching Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin winning the recent #AustraliaOpen2025. They are quite obviously hugely talented individuals, good technical skills, dynamic, adventurous and aggressive, making them exciting to watch.
And there is absolutely no doubt they’ve had an unbelievable start to their partnership. 6 titles from 8 finals in their first 12 tournaments together, including the title in Sydney when playing in their first ever Super 500 event on the #BWFWorldTour.
As a new young pair, they haven’t yet experienced the pressures that go with star status. With the innocence of youth, they have been able to compete with uninhibited freedom. To simply enjoy the thrill of the exhilarating ride while surfing on the crest of the sporting wave of success, blissfully unaware of the dangers that lurk in the murky waters beneath.
But the moment you achieve an outstanding result, the uninhibited innocence is shattered, and you are forced to deal with the harsh reality of sport – pressure and the heavy burden of expectation.
There has been so much talk and excitement surrounding Indra and Joaquin, and with that spotlight comes pressure. But that’s a fundamental and unavoidable part of sport. How they now handle and deal with that pressure will be crucial in their development.
There’s no doubting the raw talent and potential of these two young Indonesians, and I can’t help but sense, we may just have witnessed the start of something special.
📷 @badmintonphoto
#Badminton
There were some notable achievements at the recently concluded #KumamotoMasters2025.
🔵 Gregoria Mariska Tunjung achieved the rare distinction of contesting a third consecutive final at the same tournament, having won the Kumamoto Masters in 2023, before losing in the final in both 2024 and 2025.
🔵 Ratchanok Intanon has now contested a staggering 13 Super 500 finals, winning her 6th Super 500 title. More Super 500 finals than any other singles player (male or female) and she equals the record of 6 Super 500 titles for a singles player held by Viktor Axelsen and Akane Yamaguchi.
🔵 Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae surpassed Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo’s 9 men’s doubles titles won in 2018 to win a record equalling 10 men’s doubles title in a calendar year, 37 years after Li Yongbo/ Tian Bingyi won 10 titles in 1988.
🔵 As Seo Seung Jae also won the #ThailandMasters2025 with Jin Yong, he has therefore won a record breaking 11 men’s doubles titles in a calendar year.
🔹 11 titles in a calendar year equals Kento Momota’s record of 11 men’s singles titles, which he achieved in 2019.
🔵 In winning the Kumamoto Masters Super 500, Dechapol Puavaranukroh/ Supissara Paewsampran become the first mixed doubles pair to win World Tour titles at all 4 levels in a Calendar year – Malaysia 1000, Singapore 750, China Masters 750, Kumamoto Masters 500, and Thailand Masters 300.
#GillsFunFacts
📷 @badmintonphoto