RAHAYU Apriyani

General
DOUBLES PARTNER
She teamed up with her women's doubles partner Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti in 2022. She had spent the previous five years playing with Greysia Polii. "It's been incredible. Not only because this is a new partnership but also because of the rapid transition. Previously I was with Greysia and now [speaking in 2023] I'm with Fadia. The style of play is different as well as the way both of us communicate. This has allowed us to learn more about each other. Two months before Greysia retired [in 2022], I was wondering if I was up to it, to guide and lead like [Polii did]. Am I capable? Back then, Greysia basically did everything for me, all I had to do was to come to practice, train hard, and play well. Finally, at the [2021] South East Asian Games [in Vietnam, which took place in 2022], the result [winning gold in women's doubles with Siti Fadia] was unexpected. That was enough. So, let's go. The unforgettable moments for me was each time Fadia kept on fighting. It was not about the outcome. I just wanted to see Fadia showing that she wants to be a winner." (BWF TV YouTube channel, 05 Jan 2023; BolaSportCom YouTube channel, 06 Oct 2022, 13 Jun 2022)

SWITCH TO DOUBLES
Born in Lawulo village in Konawe, Indonesia, she moved to Jakarta in 2011 when she was invited to join Pelita Badminton Club to work with coaches Icuk Sugiarto and Toto Sunarto. She had grown up playing singles but in 2012 coach Toto Sunarto encouraged her to switch to doubles competition. "Coach Toto told me that I had better prospects in the doubles." (Indosportdotcom YouTube channel, 25 Apr 2020; majalahbulutangkis, 04 Dec 2017)

EARLY DAYS
She used to help her parents sell vegetables as a child. "My mother liked to plant things like chilli, corn, and many other vegetables. Our backyard was large, so my mother would walk around, pick and tie them up, and eventually asked me, 'Ani, here you go and sell them, for your pocket money'. So, I was taught to earn like that since the beginning. Ever since I moved to Jakarta [in 2011], I never asked for any financial help to my parents because I knew things were already hard for them." (sports, 19 Jan 2023; merdeka, 04 Aug 2021; Bulu Badminton Addict YouTube channel, 27 May 2021)

OCCUPATION
She has worked as a civil servant at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Indonesia. (Instagram profile, 15 Nov 2022)

She and Greysia Polii became the first Indonesian badminton players to win gold in women's doubles at the Olympic Games by claiming victory at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 31 Aug 2021; kompas, 02 Aug 2021)