Indonesia storm back to win mixed doubles 50 world masters title

Indonesia’s veteran table tennis pipeline produced one of the most dramatic finishes of the ITTF World Masters Championships Gangneung 2026, as Ismu Harinto and Lieng Lieng Minangmojo Agustine clawed back from two games down to win the mixed doubles 50 title. The Indonesian pair beat South Korea’s Yong Hyeon Jo and Sun Ah Kim 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 at Gangneung Olympic Park on June 13, turning what looked like a home-crowd celebration into a statement win built on patience and control.

Harinto’s profile gave the result extra weight. The Indonesian was a Sydney 2000 Olympian, and he said the pair benefited from the support and tactical preparation provided through Wu Sport under Suroso Hartono. That structure showed once the final tilted away from the Koreans: after absorbing the opening pressure, Harinto and Agustine changed the rhythm, played more aggressively and pushed Jo and Kim backward until the decider was theirs at 11-8. The comeback also capped an unbeaten run through the tournament, underlining that this was a title earned through consistency rather than a one-off burst.

The victory landed in the middle of a major Masters gathering in Gangneung, Korea Republic, where the championships ran from June 5 to June 12, 2026. The ITTF said the event brought together more than 3,000 participants from over 85 countries and territories, with five events spanning age categories starting from 40 years old. The federation had originally expected more than 4,000 players from over 100 countries and territories, a sign of the scale behind a competition that now sits firmly inside the sport’s broader calendar rather than on its fringes.

That bigger picture matters for Indonesia as much as the medal itself. Harinto’s run showed that the country can still produce results beyond the senior elite circuit, especially in Masters play where preparation, timing and tactical clarity often decide matches as much as raw speed. In a centenary year for the ITTF, the federation framed Gangneung as part of a global celebration of longevity in the sport, with president Petra Sörling describing it as “table tennis for all” and “table tennis for life.”

Gangneung itself added to the setting. The ITTF noted that Gangneung Arena previously hosted Olympic competition during the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games, and it thanked the Local Organising Committee, the Korea Table Tennis Association and the city of Gangneung as the event closed. The Masters pathway now moves on to Las Vegas, where the inaugural ITTF World Masters Team Table Tennis Championships are scheduled for December 11 to 16, 2027 at Mandalay Bay South Convention Center.