Hendrawan, a true champion<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa and Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post,
\nGuangzhou\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
A week before heading to Guangzhou, China, for the 2002 Thomas
\nand Uber Cup badminton championships, Hendrawan was struggling
\nwith two big problems.<\/p>\n
First, he only received his Republic of Indonesia Citizenship
\nCertificate (SBKRI) after President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nintervened personally and ordered officials at the Ministry of
\nJustice and Human Rights to rush through his paperwork.<\/p>\n
Second, he had to come to terms with the new
\nseven-points-best-of-five-games scoring system being used in
\nbadminton. This new system does not fit his playing style, which
\nis more suited to the longer rallies that characterized play
\nunder the old system.<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old Hendrawan put these struggles behind him and
\nshowed his class on Sunday, taming Malaysian third singles
\nMuhammad Roslin Hashim in the do-or-die deciding match to secure
\nIndonesia's fifth consecutive and 13th overall Thomas Cup
\nvictory.<\/p>\n
The man who stayed so calm on the court during the pressure-
\nfilled match burst into tears as his teammates carried him on
\ntheir shoulders in a victory lap, cheered on by Indonesian
\nstudents based in Guangzhou.<\/p>\n
Hendrawan was able to overcome his problems, which had made
\nhim question whether he should take part in the Thomas Cup,
\nparticularly because of the new scoring system, and play the role
\nof hero.<\/p>\n
As usual, he played down his own part in winning the Thomas
\nCup. \"I'm not a hero. I had the support of all the other team
\nmembers. Every player played their own part in defending the Cup.<\/p>\n
\"It was not just me. There are other shuttlers; remember this
\nis a team event,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Four years ago in Hong Kong -- when anti-Chinese riots erupted
\nin Jakarta during the Thomas Cup -- Hendrawan also played a major
\nrole in helping Indonesia defeat Malaysia in the final.<\/p>\n
And in 2000, he opened the country's victory by beating
\nChina's Xia Xuanze, opening the way for a 3-0 victory for
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
A year ago, Hendrawan blamed himself for his failure to earn a
\npoint in the Sudirman Cup team championship in Seville, Spain,
\nagainst eventual champion China. After winning the world
\nchampionship a week later, he said he would gladly trade his
\nindividual title for the team event title.<\/p>\n
Despite his reservations with the new scoring system,
\nHendrawan proved he could win with it, though he would be happy
\nif the International Badminton Federation reverted to the old
\nsystem of 15-points-best-of-three-games.<\/p>\n
\"I told myself just to do the best I could with the new
\nsystem, after having such bad form in previous tournaments. Maybe
\nit was just the Thomas Cup that brought out my best.<\/p>\n
\"But now I have proven that I have the skill to win using both
\nscoring systems.\"<\/p>\n
Hendrawan -- who is admired both by other world-class
\nshuttlers and journalists for his modesty and friendly character
\n-- urged the public not to make too much of the Thomas Cup
\nvictory because there were many more challenges awaiting
\nIndonesia's badminton players.<\/p>\n
\"I'm very proud of this historical achievement, but we must
\nnot forget the other tasks that await us. We still have to fight
\nhard at the 2002 Busan Asian Games and the 2004 Athens Olympics.\"<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to these events, Hendrawan is eager to play a
\nrole in helping the Badminton Association of Indonesia prepare
\nthe country's younger shuttlers for such major international
\ntournaments.<\/p>\n
\"Personally, I would prefer including junior players on the
\nThomas Cup squad. But they have to prove themselves capable of
\nbeing able to perform well.\"<\/p>\n
He pointed to the Chinese Thomas Cup squad, which included
\nsecond and third singles Bao Chunlai and Lin Dan, who played
\nagainst Indonesians Sonny Dwi Kuncoro and Ardiansyah in the 2000
\nWorld Junior Championships. And the Malaysian squad included the
\nyoungsters Lee Tsuen Seng and Muhammad Hafiz Hashim.<\/p>\n
\"Those younger players had good results and deserved their
\nplaces on their teams.\"<\/p>\n
He also criticized some of Indonesia's younger players for
\nbeing unwilling to put in the work required to succeed.<\/p>\n
\"I don't have overwhelming talent like Sigit Budiarto and
\nTaufik Hidayat. They don't need the extra practice to win. I have
\nhad to work hard to be successful.<\/p>\n
\"I hope the younger players can follow in my path so they will
\nbe prepared to replace the veteran players in the future.\"<\/p>\n
Inspired by 1996 Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of
\nDenmark, who won badminton gold at the age of 31, Hendrawan has
\nset a goal for himself of winning the gold medal at Athens in
\n2004.<\/p>\n
\"I will do my best to qualify for the Olympics and win the
\ngold. Only after that will I start to think of other things. But
\nnow I just want to keep going, keep winning.<\/p>\n
\"When I retire from badminton, I want to be a coach. I could
\ncoach for a club or perhaps in another country. And someday I
\nhope to have my own badminton school, but that will take a lot of
\nmoney.<\/p>\n
\"But I'll still play as long as I have the motivation. Even if
\nI retire, I won't just hand over the mantle to the younger
\nplayers easily, so they realize that success can't be attained
\nwithout hard work.\"<\/p>\n
Hendrawan, who credits his family with supporting him and his
\ncareer, is expecting his second child with wife Silvia Anggraini.
\nHis first child, a daughter, is named Josephine Sevilla, to
\ncommemorate the world championship he won in that Spanish city
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
The doctor has told the couple that Silvia will deliver a baby
\nboy in June, and they are considering naming him Thomas.<\/p>\n
But even with so many people telling him what a magnificent
\nbadminton champion he is, Hendrawan just wants to be a normal
\nperson.<\/p>\n
\"I realize that people know me because of my badminton
\nachievements. But I'm ready for the future, when everybody has
\nforgotten me. I don't want to be famous.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hendrawan-a-true-champion-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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