Ivana cutting badminton down to size for kids<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former top women's badminton player Ivana Lie knows that it is
\nnot easy for a youngster to grip an adult racket or stand on
\ntiptoes in an effort to see over the top of the net.<\/p>\n
So she is bringing things down to their level in a modified
\nversion she calls Badmini.<\/p>\n
That means reduced court dimensions, a smaller racket for a
\ntiny hand to hold comfortably and also a lower net for players
\naged under 12.<\/p>\n
\"We hope this new, child-friendly system will help produce
\nmore Olympic champions like Taufik Hidayat and Susi Susanti in
\nthe future,\" the 1980 World Championship runner up and 1982 Asian
\nGames gold medalist told a news conference on Monday.<\/p>\n
Ivana, who runs a badminton school in Bandung, said the
\nBadmini court measures 11.88 meters by 5.18 meters, compared to
\n13.6 meters by 6.1 meters.<\/p>\n
As well as shortened rackets, the net is 140 centimeters high,
\n15 centimeters lower than the regular height.<\/p>\n
\"With the assistance of some friends, I created Badmini to
\nhelp children learn badminton easily without having to play on
\nthe normal size that is only fit for adults,\" said Ivana, who has
\nalso created a form for under nines.<\/p>\n
\"However, the whole family could play together for fun.\"<\/p>\n
The scoring system has also been revamped, including providing
\nbonus points for smashes hit into four designated areas and
\noutstanding net play.<\/p>\n
\"We have the bonus point that will encourage young shuttlers
\nto play badminton beautifully and place the shuttlecock in
\nseveral difficult to reach spots.\"<\/p>\n
Ivana said children in her school responded positively to the
\nform, which will be played in an exhibition before the final of
\nthe National Badminton Championship for clubs in Yogyakarta on
\nJan. 30.<\/p>\n
\"Subsequently, we will introduce it in 10 cities: Jakarta,
\nBandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Batam, Medan, Manado,
\nMakassar and Samarinda are the candidates for the first
\nintroduction.\"<\/p>\n
The cities would hold their respective regional championships
\nin mid-2005, with the winners securing berths to participate in
\nthe national championship later this year, Ivana said.<\/p>\n
Eventually, youngsters around the world may learn the game
\nunder the modified system.<\/p>\n
\"In 2006, we hope PBSI will introduce Badmini to the
\nInternational Badminton Federation (IBF),\" she said.<\/p>",
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