Anthony Ginting happy to carry Indonesia's hopes on his shoulders

At this point, Ginting has the company of his Indonesian team-mate and good friend Jonatan Christie to help realise the dreams of a badminton mad nation, with both the shuttlers ranked in the world top 10.

But Ginting, who is the more consistent performer compared to Christie this year, is increasingly being relied on to deliver results, which he is used to.

“I am used to the pressure of playing in tournaments where the country looks to me for victory. I think all the players feel the pressure, especially when we have the same desire to become Olympic champions or win other tournaments.

“What makes badminton so popular in Indonesia is our history. My seniors all reached a high level in the sport at the Olympics, Asian Games and many other tournaments,” Ginting told the Olympic Channel recently.

Following the legacy of greats such as Alan Budikusuma, Ardy Wiranata, Taufik Hidayat and Hariyanto Arbi can be intimidating, but Ginting has made great strides in his fledgling career so far.

Still only 24, the shuttler known for his blistering gameplay is now sixth on the world standings and has several World Tour titles to his name.

This year, he bagged the Indonesia Masters title with a compelling victory over Denmark’s Anders Antonsen in January.

A month later, he won all his matches to help Indonesia retain the Asia Team Championships title in Manila.

Ginting has also been touted as one who is able to push Kento Momota the hardest, and will be among the world number one's kryptonite at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics next year.

“Badminton has changed my life a lot and my family’s life too. I was able to provide for them because of badminton,” he reflects, adding there is so much more he wants to achieve in the game.

The Asian Games and Olympics are his two biggest goals.

With a long career ahead of him barring any injuries, Ginting could be the man Indonesia pines their hopes on for international glory.