Celebrity Raffi Ahmad (front left) will play badminton legend Taufik Hidayat in the upcoming “THe juaRA” celebrity tennis competition on Nov. 29, 2023, in Jakarta. (JebreeetMedia/-)
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celebrity sporting event called “THe JuaRA” hosted by JebreeetMedia will feature tennis matches between celebrities and an Indonesian badminton legend, following a sports awards show and TED talk held by the company earlier this year.
The latest competition will open with actor, singer and entrepreneur Raffi Ahmad playing former national badminton player Taufik Hidayat in a tennis match at the Senayan Indoor Tennis Stadium in Jakarta on Nov. 29.
“This is the first time there’s been a sports match between a celebrity and an actual athlete,” JebreeetMedia CEO Valentino Simanjuntak said in a statement.
“Both Taufik and Raffi are the greatest in their respective fields,” he added.
Olympic gold medalist Taufik is a retired world champion who has won numerous gold medals for Indonesia. He is considered among the greatest men’s badminton singles players in the world.
Raffi started out as a model in the early 2000s. His ensuing career as a singer, actor and presenter was followed by entrepreneurship, with he and his wife Nagita Slavina building RANS Entertainment.
Beyond the match between Taufik and Raffi, the event will also involve other tennis matches, including a match between comedian Desta Mahendra and Valentino in the men’s singles category, as well as actor pair Oki Rangga and Bene Dion playing radio DJs Diaz Danar and Randhika Djamil in men’s doubles.
Other players will include Judika and Gading Marten, as well as entrepreneurs Michael Wanandi and Wandi Wanandi, among others.
In July, JebreeetMedia organized a TED talk called Juara Bicara (Champions Talk) that included a number of athletes, including Indonesian boxing champion Chris John and badminton gold medalist Greysia Polii.
Sponsored by pharmaceutical company Combiphar and holding company Santini, the sports match also seeks to help former athletes who are financially struggling. The mission is a collaboration involving the Indonesia Olympians Association (IOA) to assist athletes in need.
