Rexy Mainaky
Rexy Ronald Mainaky (born 9 March 1968) is an Indonesian former professional badminton player and current coach, best known for his success in men's doubles, including an Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games with partner Ricky Subagja.[1][2] Alongside Subagja, Mainaky also claimed the men's doubles title at the 1995 BWF World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, defeating Denmark's Thomas Lund and Jon Holst-Christensen in the final.[2] The duo further excelled by winning consecutive All England Open Badminton Championships in 1995 and 1996, establishing themselves as one of the era's dominant pairs.[3] Mainaky's playing career spanned the 1990s and early 2000s, during which he represented Indonesia in three Olympic Games (1992, 1996, and 2000), securing a fifth-place finish in men's doubles in both 1992 and 2000 while serving as Indonesia's flagbearer at the 2000 Sydney Opening Ceremony.[1] He contributed significantly to Indonesia's team successes, helping secure four consecutive Thomas Cup titles from 1994 to 2000 and three gold medals at the Badminton World Cup.[4] Retiring after the 2000 Olympics, Mainaky transitioned to coaching, amassing over 36 individual titles and nine team titles across his competitive tenure.[5] As a coach, Mainaky has brought his expertise to multiple national programs, starting with England in 2001, where he mentored mixed doubles pair Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms to a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, as well as victories at the 2005 All England and 2006 World Championships.[6] He later served as head of development for Indonesia's badminton federation until 2016, coached Thailand's women's team to the 2018 Uber Cup final—their first—and worked with Malaysia from 2005 to 2012 before rejoining in 2021.[4] In his current role as doubles coaching director for the Badminton Association of Malaysia (appointed deputy director in late 2021 and elevated in 2023), Mainaky has guided emerging talents toward major titles, including Malaysia's first men's doubles world championship in 2022 with Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, emphasizing mental resilience and tactical innovation.[7][8][3]Early Life and Background
Birth and Family
Rexy Ronald Mainaky was born on March 9, 1968, in Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia.[1] Growing up in a region known for its cultural diversity, Mainaky's early life was shaped by the island's vibrant community, where sports began to emerge as a key influence.[9] Mainaky is one of seven children in the Mainaky family, a household deeply immersed in athletics. Five of the siblings—Rexy, Richard Leonard Mainaky, Marleve Mario Mainaky, Rionny Frederik Lambertus Mainaky, and Karel Leopold Mainaky—represented Indonesia on the national badminton team during the 1990s, highlighting the family's profound commitment to the sport.[10] This collective involvement created a competitive environment that encouraged rigorous training and mutual support, with badminton serving as a central pillar of family life and ambition.[10] The siblings' shared pursuit not only built individual skills but also strengthened familial bonds through shared goals and achievements in international competition.[11]Entry into Badminton
Rexy Mainaky first encountered badminton during his youth in Ternate, Maluku, where he joined local clubs and began playing the sport as a hobby despite his initial preference for football. Influenced by his father's passion for badminton, Mainaky practiced persistently even without proper equipment, often training barefoot due to financial limitations.[12][13] Following promising performances in local play, Mainaky progressed to formal training under the auspices of Indonesian badminton associations, relocating to Jakarta to attend the prestigious Ragunan Sports School, a national institution dedicated to nurturing young athletes. At Ragunan, he underwent intensive daily regimens, including multiple practice sessions that involved long commutes from Depok to Ancol, building his physical endurance and technical foundation in the sport. This structured environment marked his transition from casual play to dedicated development within the national youth system.[12] Through his time at Ragunan and subsequent involvement in national youth programs, Mainaky competed in his inaugural junior tournaments, facing stiff competition that honed his competitive edge. It was during these early experiences that he began developing as a men's doubles specialist, emphasizing partnership dynamics and strategic positioning central to the discipline.[12]Playing Career
Early Professional Years
Rexy Mainaky joined the Indonesian national badminton team in 1990, marking the start of his international professional career. He initially competed in men's singles, reaching a career-high ranking of 62 in June 1990, but quickly recognized his aptitude for doubles play and shifted focus to the discipline. He partnered with Thomas Indrajaya in men's doubles early in his career, signaling Mainaky's emergence as a doubles specialist.[5] Mainaky's debut on the international stage came at the 1992 Thomas Cup in Kuala Lumpur, where he teamed up with Ricky Subagja for the men's doubles event. The Indonesian squad advanced to the final, with Mainaky and Subagja delivering strong performances en route, though they fell in a tight match to Malaysia's Cheah Soon Kit and Soo Beng Kiang. At just over two years into his national team experience, this outing underscored Mainaky's rapid adaptation to high-stakes doubles competition and his growing role in Indonesia's dominant badminton program.[14]Partnership with Ricky Subagja
Rexy Mainaky and Ricky Subagja formed their men's doubles partnership in 1992, quickly emerging as one of Indonesia's most dominant pairs and accumulating over 30 international titles throughout the decade.[15] Their collaboration was marked by seamless coordination, with Mainaky's agility at the net complementing Subagja's powerful backcourt presence, allowing them to build a formidable team dynamic.[15] The duo's tactical style emphasized aggressive net play, rapid-fire attacks, and exceptional endurance, enabling them to maintain high-intensity rallies and overwhelm opponents with explosive smashes and unrelenting pressure.[15] This approach not only showcased their individual strengths—Mainaky's defensive prowess and Subagja's offensive firepower—but also highlighted their mutual understanding, often described as "perfect sync" in high-stakes matches.[15] Their endurance was particularly evident in prolonged encounters, where they outlasted rivals through disciplined footwork and strategic adaptability. A pivotal achievement came at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, where Mainaky and Subagja clinched the men's doubles gold medal, defeating Malaysia's Cheah Soon Kit and Soo Beng Kiang in the final to solidify their status as Asia's top pair.[15] They also played crucial roles in Indonesia's Thomas Cup triumphs from 1994 to 2000, contributing to four consecutive team victories; notable performances included a decisive 1994 win over Malaysia and key doubles rubbers in the 1996, 1998, and 2000 finals that helped secure the title.[15] These successes underscored their reliability in team competitions, where their aggressive style often turned matches in Indonesia's favor.Olympic and World Successes
Rexy Mainaky and his partner Ricky Subagja achieved their pinnacle of success in men's doubles at the highest levels of international badminton during the mid-1990s, dominating major global tournaments with a combination of aggressive play and tactical precision. Their partnership, formed earlier in their careers, propelled them to unprecedented heights in Olympic and World Championship competitions.[15] At the 1995 IBF World Championships held in Lausanne, Switzerland, Mainaky and Subagja clinched the gold medal in men's doubles, defeating the Danish pair Jon Holst-Christensen and Thomas Lund in the final with scores of 15-5 and 15-2. This victory marked Indonesia's strong presence in the discipline and solidified their status as the world's top duo at the time.[16][15] The duo's crowning achievement came at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where they captured the gold medal in men's doubles, overcoming Malaysia's Yap Kim Hock and Cheah Soon Kit in a thrilling final that went to three games, ending 5-15, 15-13, 15-12. This Olympic triumph was Indonesia's first in badminton doubles and highlighted their resilience in high-stakes matches.[17][18] Mainaky and Subagja also demonstrated consistent excellence in the IBF World Cup, securing gold medals in 1993 in New Delhi (defeating China's Chen Hongyong and Chen Kang 15-7, 12-15, 15-9), 1995 in Jakarta, and 1997 in Yogyakarta. These victories underscored their dominance across multiple editions of the prestigious invitational event, contributing to a legacy of three World Cup titles that few pairs have matched.[15]Later Partnerships and Retirement
Following his long-standing partnership with Ricky Subagja, Rexy Mainaky teamed up with fellow Indonesian Tony Gunawan in 2000 for select international events, leveraging their shared quickness and tactical synergy to secure notable successes. This collaboration culminated in a gold medal at the Badminton Asian Championships in Jakarta, where they defeated the Malaysian pair of Cheong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah in the final.[19][20] The duo also contributed to Indonesia's Thomas Cup victory that year, with Mainaky and Gunawan securing a key win in the semifinals against Denmark and supporting the team's 3-0 final triumph over China.[19][15] As Mainaky entered his early 30s, his performances showed signs of decline amid intensifying global competition in men's doubles during the late 1990s and early 2000s, particularly after a quarterfinal exit at the 2000 Sydney Olympics alongside Subagja. These challenges prompted the shift to Gunawan and marked Mainaky's final major international appearances, including the Japan Open and Thomas Cup preliminaries in 2000.[21][22] Mainaky announced his retirement from competitive play in November 2000 at age 32, shortly after the Asian Championships triumph, transitioning immediately to coaching with the English national team starting January 2001. Over his career, he amassed over 30 international titles, including multiple Grand Prix events, underscoring his status as one of Indonesia's premier doubles specialists.[20][23][15]Major Achievements
Olympic Games and World Championships
Rexy Mainaky, partnering primarily with Ricky Subagja in men's doubles, achieved significant success at the Olympic Games and BWF World Championships, establishing himself as one of Indonesia's premier shuttlers in the discipline. Their aggressive playing style and strong net play were instrumental in navigating high-stakes matches against top international competition.Olympic Games
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Mainaky and Subagja reached the quarterfinals after defeating Sweden's Peter Axelsson and Pär-Gunnar Jönsson 15-7, 15-4 in the round of 16. They were eliminated by South Korea's Park Joo-bong and Kim Moon-soo, losing 7-15, 4-15.[24][25] In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the pair, seeded first, earned a bye in the first round and advanced with a 15-7, 15-7 win over China's Huang Zhanzhong and Jiang Xin in the round of 32. They overcame Malaysia's Soo Beng Kiang and Tan Kim Her 15-3, 15-5 in the round of 16, then rallied from a first-game deficit to defeat second-seeded Malaysians Yap Kim Hock and Cheah Soon Kit 5-15, 15-13, 15-12 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they dispatched fellow Indonesians Chandra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto 15-10, 15-6 before securing gold in the final against Yap Kim Hock and Cheah Soon Kit with a dominant 15-1, 15-1 victory, marking Indonesia's first Olympic gold in badminton men's doubles.[26][27][17][28]World Championships
Mainaky and Subagja claimed the men's doubles gold at the 1995 BWF World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, defeating Denmark's Thomas Lund and Jon Holst-Christensen in the final after earlier wins including over Malaysia's Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock for bronze semifinal placement. This victory solidified their status as world number one.[2] At the 1997 BWF World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, the duo earned bronze, reaching the semifinals where they fell to compatriots Sigit Budiarto and Chandra Wijaya before securing the medal via the classification match. They had notable wins en route, including over Germany's Michael Helber and Björn Siebermann in earlier rounds.[29]| Event | Year | Discipline | Medal/Position | Partner | Key Opponents and Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1992 | Men's Doubles | Quarterfinals (5th) | Ricky Subagja | Park Joo-bong / Kim Moon-soo (KOR), 7-15, 4-15 (QF) |
| Olympic Games | 1996 | Men's Doubles | Gold | Ricky Subagja | Yap Kim Hock / Cheah Soon Kit (MAS), 15-1, 15-1 (Final); Chandra Wijaya / Sigit Budiarto (INA), 15-10, 15-6 (SF) |
| World Championships | 1995 | Men's Doubles | Gold | Ricky Subagja | Thomas Lund / Jon Holst-Christensen (DEN), Final (score not detailed in sources) |
| World Championships | 1997 | Men's Doubles | Bronze | Ricky Subagja | Sigit Budiarto / Chandra Wijaya (INA), Semifinal loss |