Badminton sensation signs for Singapore<\/p>\n
Gerard Wong, The Straits Times, Asia News Network, Singapore<\/p>\n
Indonesian teenage badminton sensation Taufik Hidayat took his
\nfirst big step towards fulfilling his desire to play for
\nSingapore when he landed at Changi Airport Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
He then announced almost immediately that he would be signing
\na contract with the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) today.<\/p>\n
Although many questions still remain unanswered about the
\nnature of the 20-year-old shuttler's future involvement with the
\nSingapore team - the result of new conditions that were recently
\nimposed on Taufik's move to Singapore by the Badminton
\nAssociation of Indonesia (PBSI) - he made one thing clear
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
\"I've been wanting to come here for a long time,\" he told
\nreporters. \"It has always been my intention to do so and I am
\nhappy to have done it finally.\"<\/p>\n
Now it remains to be seen if the SBA and the Singapore Sports
\nCouncil can shed light on the other lingering questions about his
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
For example, it is still unclear which country the two-time
\nAll-England finalist will represent eventually in international
\ncompetitions.<\/p>\n
Nor is it certain that the SBA will pay the transfer fee of up
\nto US$40,000 that the PBSI is seeking for Taufik's release.<\/p>\n
While the PBSI allows Taufik to don Singapore colors in
\nindividual tournaments, it has demanded that the world No. 11
\ncontinue to play for Indonesia in major team tournaments like the
\nThomas Cup.<\/p>\n
PBSI secretary-general Lutfi Hamid had said earlier this week:
\n\"We want our best shuttlers to be ready to defend the country in
\nevents like the Thomas and Uber Cups and the Southeast Asia,
\nAsian and Olympic Games.\"<\/p>\n
However, if Taufik does continue to play for Indonesia in
\nthese events, he will be unable to represent Singapore in them in
\nthe future.<\/p>\n
Under International Badminton Federation (IBF) residency
\nrules, a player can only play for his new country after
\nabstaining from representing his previous country for two years.<\/p>\n
If that is so, then one wonders about Singapore's wisdom in
\nrecruiting him since he is unable to further Singapore's hopes in
\nfuture Thomas or Sudirman Cup campaigns.<\/p>\n
Taufik himself hinted at a possible answer but stopped short
\nof giving a full reply.<\/p>\n
\"I will play in the Thomas Cup and in multisports games
\ncompetitions like the Asian and SEA Games for Indonesia,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"But I am not sure for how long.\"<\/p>\n
The two SBA officials who received Taufik at Changi yesterday
\n- national director of coaching Hamid Khan and national men's
\nsingles coach Mulyo Handoyo, who was Taufik's mentor in Indonesia
\n- were also unable to shed light on the issues at hand.<\/p>\n
SBA president Wang Kai Yuen and secretary Robin Chan were not
\nat the airport yesterday.<\/p>",
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