My ultimate aim for 2018 is to win the elusive Asian Games gold medal, more so, winning it on home soil in Jakarta, host of the Asiad. And to achieve this, I need to be consistent and vigilant all year long… and the journey begins with the Indonesia Masters in January 2018.

My sights is set firmly on the Asiad 2018 but firstly, I need to ensure my place in the national badminton squad and continue to be part of the team. And to do so, I need to prepare early and what better way than to prove myself in the prestigious Indonesia Masters.

First, the increased prize money to USD350,000 dangled by the organisers and sponsors of the tournament will certainly attract the world's top badminton players to head for Jakarta come January 2018. Players filling up the top ten list are certain to be in Jakarta -- in the singles, doubles as well as mixed doubles.

China, with five mixed doubles pair filling up the top 10 bracket, will definitely be hard to beat. But, with my partner Tontowi, I’m hoping that playing in front of the home fans at the famous Istora Senayan will provide us with some advantage, physically and emotionally, over our rivals.

Being able to play in front of your home fans, more so at Istora Senayan, is indeed a great honour. And doing well and winning the Indonesia Masters would certainly be a great feat which carries a special meaning to me.  I still want to be the best in Indonesia and I have already started my strict training regime to prepare me for the new look Indonesia Masters tournament.

As for the other players, home spectators are sure to witness some great performances from our very own heroes -- 11th-ranked singles player Jonatan CHRISTIE and current world top-ranked pair of Marcus Fernaldi GIDEON and Kevin Sanjaya SUKAMULJO.  They will be participating in the tournament and this would surely add excitement, glamour  and prestige to the event, especially with the inclusion of Marcus/Kevin who have shown tremendous achievement this year where they won six Superseries titles this year including the recent Hong Kong Open last month.

To be able to march into eight finals and win the  All England, Indian Open, Malaysian Open, Japan Open and the China Open tournament in a year (2017) is simply a massive achievement.  We look forward to another great achievement from them in the upcoming DAIHATSU Indonesian Masters 2018.

I’m quite certain I still have plenty of time playing competitively and stay at the top with the best. There is no shortcut to success and I will continue to improve my game and keep up with the rest. Be positive and determined in whatever you do. It won’t go wrong.

My fourth World Championships title with Tontowi AHMAD recently came as a huge boost to me as I gear up to face new challenges in the new year, including doing well in the Indonesia Masters.

As mentioned earlier, for now, to start off my preparation for 2018, the Indonesia Masters is top on my priority list. I’m looking forward to compete against other top ranked players and bring glory to the Indonesian squad.