Badminton `dream team' strike fear in opponents<\/p>\n
HIROSHIMA, Japan (AFP): Ardy Wiranata and Susi Susanti have
\nsuch an aura of invincibility about them that opponents have
\ngiven up hope even before the world-class Asian Games badminton
\nstarts today.<\/p>\n
As well as the world number one male and female player,
\nIndonesia also has the men's number two Joko Suprianto, number
\nthree Hariyanto Arbi and number four Hermawan Susanto.<\/p>\n
The world's top two doubles teams -- Bambang Suprianto-Rudy
\nGunawan and Ricky Subagja-Rexy Mainaky -- also carry the hopes of
\nIndonesia's badminton crazy 180 million people.<\/p>\n
So rich is their talent that the world's fifth-ranked player,
\nAlan Budikusuma -- Susanti's boyfriend -- could not find a place
\nin badminton's \"dream team.\"<\/p>\n
Former world champion Li Yongbo, coach of China's men's team,
\nthe defending Asian Games champion, said it was futile for any
\none to think of upsetting Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"They should win all the men's titles,\" Li said, testifying to
\nChina's lost supremacy in the sport it dominated until the 1990
\nAsian Games.<\/p>\n
In Beijing, the Chinese were lifted by raucous home crowds on
\ntheir way to both the men's and women's team titles as well as
\nthe singles. They won six out of the seven badminton golds.<\/p>\n
But those heydays when Yang Yang and Zhao Jianhua were at the
\npeak of their illustrious careers are long past, and coach Li,
\n31, admitted that finding their successors had been difficult.<\/p>\n
China's rebuilding process, however, is picking up momentum
\nunder a squad of new, young coaches, Li said, adding that it
\nwould not be long before China get back to winning ways. But it
\nwill have to wait until after Hiroshima.<\/p>\n
In the last two years, the Indonesians have taken every top
\ninternational competition. The men this year won back the Thomas
\nCup, symbol of supremacy in men's team badminton, for the first
\ntime in 10 years.<\/p>\n
The absence of Rashid Sidek in the Malaysian team has
\nsmoothened their path to the titles further.<\/p>\n
Four golds<\/p>\n
Indonesia confidently expect four golds -- the men's team and
\nsingles, men's doubles and the women's singles for Susanti, who
\nis in Hiroshima looking for the only crown that has eluded her.<\/p>\n
The slender 23-year-old Susanti's tenacious game has worn all
\nopponents down. She won the Olympic gold in 1992, has also taken
\nfour all-England titles since 1990, two World Cup and two Grand
\nPrix titles.<\/p>\n
\"This event is important for me because this is the one major
\ntitle that I have never won,\" said Susanti, who lost to defending
\nchampion Tang Jiuhong of China in the Beijing Asiad.<\/p>\n
Indonesian women's shuttlers also won the Uber Cup, the
\nequivalent of the Thomas Cup, this year at home when they ended
\nChina's run of five consecutive titles. But they will face a
\ntough challenge here from the Chinese and the Koreans.<\/p>\n
The Chinese, who have brought back Tang to strengthen her
\nsquad, are thirsting for revenge for the Uber Cup loss by a
\nnarrow 2-3 margin. They believe they can spoil the Indonesian's
\nsingles dream as well.<\/p>\n
Chinese coach Li said 20-year-old Ye Zhaoying, known for her
\nfast attacking game, could stop Susanti. \"China, Korea, Indonesia
\nall have a 50-50 chance in the women's section,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The past masters' best bet for the honors is the mixed doubles
\nwhich they missed in 1990. They have entered Asian Cup holders
\nLiu Jiangjun-Ge Fei and World Cup champions Chen Xingdong-Gu Jun.<\/p>",
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