Indonesia excells in chase for record sixth in Thomas Cup<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For the Indonesian sporting public, perhaps there is nothing
\nmore important than the badminton men's team Thomas Cup
\nchampionship.<\/p>\n
We have taken the cup 13 times, a record five times in a row,
\nfrom a total of 22 contests over more than 50 years.<\/p>\n
Badminton is one of the few international sports that
\nIndonesians can stand proud in, one we consistently dominate and
\nthe only sport we have won Olympic gold in so far.<\/p>\n
And this year, the Indonesian public is bracing themselves to
\nsee whether Sony Dwi Kuncoro can lead his teammates to a record
\nsixth consecutive cup win.<\/p>\n
There are only two other countries who have won the coveted
\ncup: Malaysia and China, making the Thomas Cup very much an Asian
\naffair, despite its English origin.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has also made history in the women's team Uber Cup
\nchampionship, being one of four countries who have ever held the
\ntrophy. The others are the United States, who won the cup's
\nmaiden event in 1957, Japan and China.<\/p>\n
Badminton legends such as Tan Joe Hok, Ferry Sonneville and
\nEddy Jusuf started Indonesia's glorious men's legacy in 1958 by
\ncleaning out cup holder Malaysia 6-3 in Singapore. Malaysia had
\nby then already created the first three-peat.<\/p>\n
Malaysia won the Thomas Cup's maiden event in 1949 by
\ndefeating Denmark 8-1 at the Queen's Hall in Preston, England. It
\ndefended the title in 1952 and 1955.<\/p>\n
Indonesia matched Malaysia's three-timer by defending the cup
\nin 1961 and 1964 before losing it 6-3 to Malaysia in 1967 in a
\nfinal showdown known as the Scheele Affair.<\/p>\n
In 1970, Indonesia again reclaimed the cup, defeating arch-
\nrival Malaysia and keeping it in 1973, 1976 and 1979. This was
\nthe first time a country had won the cup four times in a row.<\/p>\n
Indonesia rewrote the history books again in 2002 by winning
\nthe cup for the fifth consecutive time, defeating Malaysia 3-2 in
\nGuangzhou, China. The feat started in 1994 when Indonesia
\ntrounced Malaysia 2-0 in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The 1982 event was the last time the event was a triennial
\naffair and a two-day best-of-nine series. From then, the event
\nhas been held biennially since 1984 in a best-of-five tournament
\nover a single day.<\/p>\n
China reclaimed the cup in 1986 and completed its own three-
\npeat by defending it in 1988 and 1990.<\/p>\n
While Indonesia is strong in the men's team, it is the Chinese
\nwomen's team that achieved the first five-win run in the Uber
\nCup.<\/p>\n
China has won eight times from a total of 17 contests,
\nfollowed by Japan with five wins and Indonesia and the United
\nStates winning three times apiece.<\/p>\n
The United States won the first event in 1957, defeating
\nDenmark 6-1 at Lytham St. Annes in Lancashire, England. They
\ncreated the Uber Cup's first hat-trick.<\/p>\n
Japan followed suit in 1966, 1969 and 1972, with two more
\nback-to-back titles in 1978 and 1981.<\/p>\n
The women's event was first suggested in 1950, following the
\nsuccess of the men's event and the offer of a trophy from Mrs
\nH.S. Uber.<\/p>\n
The format of the women's team championship is similar to the
\nmen's event. From 1957 to 1984 it was also a triennial event but
\nwith a best-of-seven match format, changing to be identical to
\nthe Thomas Cup in 1984.<\/p>\n
Indonesia won the Uber Cup for the first time in 1975, ending
\nJapan's dominance. But we had to wait for another 19 years before
\nclinching the cup again in 1994, successfully defending it in
\n1996.<\/p>\n
Realizing their Uber Cup team is weak and inexperienced --
\nseeded 10th out of 12 participants -- this year's Indonesian
\nwomen shuttlers have set themselves a tough but worthy target, a
\nplace in the semifinals.<\/p>",
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