Dewi joins elite squad, thanks to her dad<\/p>\n
SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Dewi Tira was just a third grade
\nstudent at an elementary school in Surabaya when her father
\nSuwandi introduced badminton to her.<\/p>\n
She did not like it at first but somehow she could not escape
\nher father's instruction to keep practicing. Eight years later,
\nshe thanked him for introducing the sport as she has just managed
\nto join the country's elite squad at the Indonesian Badminton
\nCenter in Cipayung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I still remember how I really hated badminton at the time my
\nfather began to introduce me to the sport. But one or two years
\nlater I started to like it,\" she told The Jakarta Post on the
\nsidelines of the Milo Junior Indonesia Open on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"I can't remember exactly what happened but I just got more
\nand more fond of it. My whole family has given me their support
\nfor my total involvement in badminton.\"<\/p>\n
Born in Surabaya on Jan. 18 1984 as the second of three
\nsiblings, Dewi started to play badminton at the age of nine.<\/p>\n
Being admitted to the center in February, Dewi and another
\njunior Dian Novita of Djarum Kudus directly joined seniors Lidya
\nDjaelawijaya, Yuli Marfuah, Atu Rosalina and Cindana Hartono as
\nthe Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) has been desperate
\nto find new talent to replace former badminton queen Susy Susanti
\nand sidekick Mia Audina, who moved to the Netherlands two years
\nago.<\/p>\n
\"My technique has been improving since being admitted to the
\ncenter. Previously, I only focused on physical training at the
\nSemen Gresik training camp before joining Surya Naga Gudang
\nGaram,\" Dewi said.<\/p>\n
\"But I must work very hard at the center to be able to catch
\nup with my seniors.\"<\/p>\n
Dewi achieved her best performance so far when she grabbed the
\ngirl's singles title at the 1999 Surabaya Cup in the under-16
\ndivision. She also reached the semifinals of the 2001 Jakarta
\nOpen losing to a Malaysian shuttler.<\/p>\n
She got as far as the semifinals of the 2001 Junior National
\nChampionships in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, when she was
\ndefeated by Dian Novita who went on to grab the title.<\/p>\n
Dewi said she really admired world number one Gong Zhichao of
\nChina and is aiming to reach a similar level with her idol.<\/p>\n
\"Gong is not tall but she is very agile and aggressive on
\ncourt. Her physical stature does not deter her from reaching the
\ntop. She's very patient on court, which leads her opponents to
\nmake unforced errors.\"<\/p>\n
\"I must work really hard to reach the same level as Gong.\"<\/p>\n
\"It will be up to me to get better achievements. I also expect
\nPBSI to send us, junior shuttlers to more international events to
\nadd to our experience.\" (nvn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dewi-joins-elite-squad-thanks-to-her-dad-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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