Indonesian shuttlers ready for Atlanta Olympic Games<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The double success in the Thomas Cup and Uber
\nCup badminton championships last month has put Indonesia's
\nshuttlers in an upbeat mood about their chances at the Olympics
\nGames in Atlanta next month.<\/p>\n
Badminton queen Susi Susanti, the ladies' singles defending
\nchampion, told visiting National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo
\nArismunandar yesterday that her ambition is to win another
\nOlympic gold medal.<\/p>\n
\"I wish to repeat my success of Barcelona. I just want to
\nforget the Uber Cup success and start to focus on the Olympics,\"
\nshe told Wismoyo.<\/p>\n
Susi and her fiance Alan Budikusuma won a gold medal apiece
\nfour years ago to give Indonesia its first ever Olympic triumphs.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian side has also erased its injury worries as both
\nwomen's singles competitor Mia Audina and men's singles star
\nHariyanto Arbi have demonstrated their full recovery and are now
\nready for the Olympics.<\/p>\n
\"I think I'm more prepared for the Olympics than the Uber
\nCup,\" the 17-year-old Mia said. Mia and world champion Hariyanto
\nare making their debuts in the Summer Games, but each of them has
\nproven they will be among the favorites for the gold medal.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will parade 20 players in the five competitions. It
\ncould have sent more players, but the International Badminton
\nFederation limited the number of entries to only three in each
\ndivision.<\/p>\n
The Games should be a happy ending tale for doubles
\nspecialists Gunawan and Finarsih, who bid farewell to the sport
\nin Atlanta. Both have twice been members of triumphant Thomas Cup
\nand Uber Cup teams, but their necks have never borne the weight
\nof Olympic medals.<\/p>\n
\"I'll fight for it because it's my last chance to carve out a
\npiece of history in my career,\" said the 30-year-old Gunawan, who
\nwill team up with his regular partner Bambang Surpriyanto.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Badminton Association of Indonesia, Surjadi,
\nsaid that some simulation matches will be arranged for the
\nOlympic-bound shuttlers.<\/p>\n
\"Simulation is important for us to know how far we have
\nprogressed and to ease our nerves,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Surjadi said that an advance team, which includes Lutfi Hamid
\nand Ananta, left for Atlanta last week to observe the athletes'
\nvillage and the Georgia State University gym, the venue of
\nOlympics badminton competition.<\/p>\n
\"Our players will not have any problems with the venue because
\nthey took part in the U.S. Badminton Open at the same place,\" he
\nsaid. (yan)<\/p>",
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