Novela Putria and Beatrice Gumulya fell in the women’s pairs padel semifinals at the Asian Games 2026, losing 0-2 to Japan’s Saki Tsukamoto and Kae Tokumoto at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center on Friday, October 2, 2026.
The straight-set defeat ended hopes of an All-Indonesian final in the women’s padel tournament. While Novela and Beatrice missed out on the championship match, compatriot duo Fadona Kusumawati and Fitriani Sabatini advanced to the gold-medal round after defeating the Philippines pair Danna Abad and Joshea Malazarte 2-0.
Semifinal Match Details Against Japan
Novela and Beatrice dropped their semifinal encounter against Tsukamoto and Tokumoto in 1 hour and 29 minutes. The Japanese pair claimed the opening set 6-1 before closing out the match with a 6-2 victory in the second set.
Beatrice acknowledged that facing the host nation’s supporters created early pressure and frustration when their shots failed to break through the opponent’s defense, noting, Memang kadang-kadang lawan main lebih bagus dari kita. Bikin kita akhirnya sedikit jujur aja ada frustrasi juga di awal-awal.
Novela noted that competing on home soil allowed the Japanese players to play with greater freedom.
Despite the scoreline, Beatrice emphasized that quitting was never an option. She stated that they kept fighting until the end to find a way to score points, adding, Tapi kita tetap berjuang sampai akhir, berusaha cari jalan gimana caranya bisa dapetin poin.
Novela voiced pride in her partner and their maximum effort despite the disappointing outcome, stating, Apapun itu, aku udah bangga ada di sini, bangga sama Kak Bea (Beatrice) juga. Kita sudah main dengan maksimal, tapi hasil belum yang diharapkan.
Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Taufik Hidayat watched the match from the stands and offered words of encouragement for their next fixture, telling them, Tetap semangat, besok kembali lebih kuat dan semoga bisa berhasil.
Contrasting Path for Fadona and Fitriani
On the other side of the draw, Fadona Kusumawati and Fitriani Sabatani secured their spot in the final with a dominant 2-0 (6-0, 6-0) victory over the Philippines’ Danna Abad and Joshea Malazarte.
Fadona credited their success to improved composure and communication, noting that they felt much more relaxed compared to the opening days of the competition. She stated, Kami hari ini mainnya sangat menikmati, tidak grogi yang kemarin-kemarin di hari pertama dan kedua. Hari ini kami bermain lebih rapi, lebih bersih, dan bisa membuat lawan jadi keteteran.
Fadona also expressed gratitude for reaching the final and noted that she is focused on pursuing a potential gold medal for Indonesia. Fitriani added that the high stakes in the semifinal actually helped them release tension and execute their shots with greater fluidity and teamwork, explaining, Kami hari ini benar-benar mainnya sangat padu banget. Semakin ke sini kami makin lega, makin bisa mengeluarkan apa yang kita punya.
Indonesia Targets Gold and Bronze in Medal Matches
The results set up distinct medal matches for Saturday, October 3, 2026. Fadona and Fitriani advanced to face Japan’s Saki Tsukamoto and Kae Tokumoto in the gold-medal match, aiming to secure the title for Indonesia. Meanwhile, Novela and Beatrice turned their focus toward the bronze-medal playoff against the Philippines duo Danna Abad and Joshea Malazarte.
Indonesian Delegation Update
In another men’s pairs semifinal match at 12.00 WIB on October 2, 2026, Christian and Chin Aidan Yunus defeated Farsad and Amirmohammad Shahi Jamshidi 2-1 to advance to the final and guarantee themselves a medal.
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