Candra and Tony to be named Indonesia's year 2000 heroes<\/p>\n
By Primastuti Handayani<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): If the Indonesian government wants to name year
\n2000 heroes, the answer must be Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan.<\/p>\n
In the middle of the country's crisis both badminton players,
\neach 25 years old, managed to distract world attention from
\nunsavory perceptions of Indonesia, and hoist the red-and-white
\nflag in Pavilion 3 of the Dome in the Olympic Park, Homebush Bay,
\nSydney, on Sept. 21.<\/p>\n
Tears ran down their cheeks while they blanketed themselves in
\nthe national flag and listened to the national anthem \"Indonesia
\nRaya\" played throughout the venue.<\/p>\n
It was a time in the year that Indonesia was remembered in a
\ngood way.<\/p>\n
Therefore the country and the nation must give thanks to both
\nathletes.<\/p>\n
Candra and Tony may not be as famous as compatriot Taufik
\nHidayat -- who is good looking, highly talented and dating a
\ncelebrity -- but their achievements this year have turned their
\nlives upside down.<\/p>\n
People are chasing them for autographs, companies want them to
\nreceive gifts for their success, and public figures invite them
\nto a multitude of functions.<\/p>\n
And all because of one success: an Olympic gold medal.<\/p>\n
Do they deserve all the attention. The answer is yes. They
\ndeserve to enjoy the overwhelming attention because they have
\nworked extremely hard to achieve it.<\/p>\n
Candra and Tony have collected four titles this year. They
\nopened the year 2000 by winning the Taipei Open after defeating
\nthe experienced Malaysian duo Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock 15-
\n7, 15-7 in January.<\/p>\n
They saved Indonesia's face once again by bringing home the
\ncountry's sole title at the Japan Open after ousting South
\nKoreans Lee Dong-soo and Yoo Yong-sung 15-6, 15-7 in April.<\/p>\n
Both players earned another title, on home soil at the
\nIndonesian Open, by beating teammates Flandy Limpele and Eng Hian
\n15-17, 15-6, 15-8 in August.<\/p>\n
Their final success was at the Olympics when they eliminated
\nLee and Yoo 15-10, 9-15, 15-7.<\/p>\n
Both players still find their success hard to believe.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes I think it's too good to be true,\" said Candra, who
\nwas born on Sept. 16, 1975.<\/p>\n
\"Until now I have felt like enjoying it too much. The coach
\nsplit us up because psychologically it's been hard for us to get
\nback into our routines. It's like we have been flying high and it
\nis very difficult to land again,\" Tony replied with a laugh.<\/p>\n
\"Now it's more difficult for us to arrange our schedule
\nbecause we have so many dinner invitations to meet badminton
\nfigures. There are so many appointments with media for interviews
\nand photo sessions. It really is much harder than before,\" Candra
\nsaid. \"We have to find time to sleep between training and those
\nengagements.\"<\/p>\n
Hard workers<\/p>\n
Both Candra and Tony realize that they have not been
\nrecognized as much as Indonesia's other highly talented players
\nlike Taufik or doubles specialists Sigit Budiarto and Eng Hian.<\/p>\n
They have to work really hard to be themselves nowadays.<\/p>\n
Candra, the second son of Hendra Wijaya and Indranita, started
\nhis career as a singles player at the Rajawali club in his
\nhometown Cirebon, West Java.<\/p>\n
In 1989 he followed in his brother's footsteps and joined the
\nPelita club, before entering the Indonesian Badminton Center in
\n1993. However, he had to abandon his dream of becoming a singles
\nplayer after contracting liver disease in 1992.<\/p>\n
\"After I recovered, I was not allowed to play singles because
\nof my illness. I played doubles instead and started to like it.
\nBesides, my performance was not too bad.\"<\/p>\n
Candra partnered with Ade Sutrisna but the partnership became
\nstagnant. Former men's doubles coach Christian Hadinata partnered
\nCandra with Sigit. This partnership signaled a new start,
\nespecially after they won the 1997 World Championships. They also
\nclaimed the world number one ranking.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Sigit was found guilty of using the anabolic
\nsteroid Nandrolone in 1998 and was banned from competition for
\none year.<\/p>\n
Christian then partnered Candra with Tony, who, with former
\npartner Halim Heryanto, had managed to claim the top spot.<\/p>\n
Tony, the youngest sibling of Budianto Gunawan and Handayani
\nHalim, was introduced to badminton by his father. After
\ngraduating from high school, he was admitted to the Center in
\n1993 and committed himself to his new life.<\/p>\n
\"If I didn't work all out, I would have failed. I pumped out
\nall my energy to fulfill my ambition. If I fail in badminton,
\nI'll quit the Center,\" said Tony, who was born on April 9, 1975.<\/p>\n
The new partnership was successful, earning the pair the 1999
\nAll England title.<\/p>\n
However, both players felt awkward about the new
\ncollaboration. Candra felt that he abandoned Sigit, while Tony
\nfelt that he betrayed Halim.<\/p>\n
\"I have to work hard with Tony because I still have to guess
\nwhat he is going to do on the court. However, I really admire his
\nwill to work hard,\" Candra said.<\/p>\n
\"At first I felt inferior because Candra had won the World
\nChampionships, while I was a nobody. But when I managed to win
\nthe 1999 Grand Prix Finals with Halim, everything changed,\" Tony
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Next steps<\/p>\n
After winning Olympic gold, the Badminton Association of
\nIndonesia (PBSI) decided to temporarily separate the pair, to
\ngive them time to recover psychologically.<\/p>\n
\"With so many interviews, ceremonies and other things, we are
\nlosing time to practice. Furthermore, PBSI temporarily closed
\ndown the training center due to holidays. It's hard for us to
\nfind our rhythm and return to hard training,\" said Candra.<\/p>\n
\"I fell really lazy now ... all I want to do is relax,\" Tony
\nreplied.<\/p>\n
But they have both agreed to start working hard again, with
\nnew challenges just around the corner.<\/p>\n
\"I want Tony to taste victory at the World Championships in
\nSeville, Spain, in May. I have won once with Sigit and now it's
\ntime for me to make it there with Tony,\" Candra said.<\/p>\n
\"Winning the World Championships is also my dream,\" Tony said.
\n\"Besides that, we also want to win the All England title once
\nagain and collect more Grand Prix series titles.\"<\/p>",
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