The badminton team from the Faculty of Economics and Business at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM) won first place in the inter-faculty/school and work unit badminton competition held to commemorate UGM’s 76th Anniversary. In an intense final match held at the UGM Valley Sports Hall on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, the FEB UGM team triumphed over their strong rival, the Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM).
According to one of the FEB UGM team members, Bashori, the victory was not achieved instantly. He explained that the key to FEB UGM’s success was combining the existing badminton culture with strategic preparation in doubles.
“The badminton culture at FEB UGM has existed for a long time and has many enthusiasts. This year, we found the key, which was to prepare pairings for the doubles team,” he explained on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2025.
Bashori added that this commitment was evident through the team’s regular training sessions with the faculty’s education staff every Tuesday afternoon.
In preparation for the competition, the FEB UGM badminton team also held a friendly match against the Graduate School (SPs UGM) badminton team to test their skills before the tournament began.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Badminton Tournament Committee, Heru Mawarta, explained that the tournament had broader goals beyond on-court competition.
According to him, aside from promoting collective health, the tournament served as an important forum for fostering camaraderie within the UGM community.
“The main goal, of course, is to maintain our collective health while strengthening bonds. On the court, many teams meet each other. This year, the tournament was joined by 22 teams with around 200 players,” he explained.
He added that beyond sportsmanship and friendship, the competition also aimed to identify new talent within UGM.
The Chair of the UGM 76th Anniversary Committee, Professor Suryono, stated that the entire series of events was rooted in the main theme of UGM’s Anniversary, “Healthy Campus as a Pillar of National Resilience and Independence.”
According to him, the concept of a “Healthy Campus” should not be interpreted solely in physical terms, but should also begin with mental well-being.
He emphasized that communal sports such as badminton and volleyball are means to build interaction and happiness, which are the foundations of a healthy mind.
For Professor Suryono, the philosophy of physical health begins with mental health.
“A healthy mind always believes that exercise can strengthen the body, while an unhealthy mind cannot think about physical health,” he concluded.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna