Joko Suprianto has every reason to be anxious about his future.<\/p>\n
By Lela E. Madjiah<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): When a person is on top of the world, it is easy
\nto believe that he has nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n
But the world's top ranked badminton player Joko Suprianto has
\nevery reason to be anxious about his future.<\/p>\n
\"Once you're out of the game, you enter a completely different
\nworld. No one to serve you and make sure you have everything. You
\nhave to manage on your own,\" he said.<\/p>\n
It's not that he's complaining.<\/p>\n
\"I'm very much aware that our country is still developing and
\nsports is not yet a priority,\" he said. \"We cannot ask for too
\nmuch.\"<\/p>\n
It's for that reason that Joko is planning to remain active in
\nthe sport for no more than another three years, given also his
\nage. He will be 28 on Nov. 6 and many believe this is the prime
\nof his career although he failed to win a singles title in his
\nlast three grand prix events in Taipei, Japan and Korea.<\/p>\n
He has already started preparing for the day when he can no
\nlonger rely on badminton to make a living. The major constraint
\nis the fact that as a world-class player he has to devote all his
\ntime to the sport and has no time left to pursue other interests.<\/p>\n
\"In the coming year or two I will start looking at other
\nthings, to build contacts to prepare for my post-badminton
\ncareer,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Joko refused to elaborate on his plan, only saying that he
\nhopes to benefit from his international reputation. He also said
\nhe may become a coach.<\/p>\n
\"But if I do, I will only work part-time job because coaches
\nhere fare even worse than players, although things have also
\nimproved a lot for them,\" he explained.<\/p>\n
Coaches, he said, have not been able to ride on the coattails
\nof their players' financial successes. When a player wins a major
\ntournament and the handsome cash prize that goes along with it,
\nthe coach receives only a small percentage of the winnings, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Despite his apprehension, which is shared by most of
\nIndonesia's other athletes, Joko noted many improvements, both in
\nthe training programs and in the welfare of the players.<\/p>\n
\"The regional training centers are very effective in spotting
\nnew talents and helping with their training,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Blessings<\/p>\n
Joko considers his parents and coach to be most responsible
\nfor guiding him to stardom. His parents also were the ones who
\ngave him their blessings in 1983 to move here from Surakarta,
\nCentral Java, where he had been playing badminton since the
\ntender age of eight.<\/p>\n
It was during his first year of high school that he came here
\nto join the Bimantara Tangkas club. After waiting for a month, he
\nreceived a response to his request to join the club. Bimantara
\nTangkas also gave its assurances that it would finance his
\nstudies up to the university level and Joko managed to finish
\nhigh school at Budi Siswa in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, in 1986.<\/p>\n
\"I was an average student because I had to divide my attention
\nbetween studying and training,\" he explained.<\/p>\n
Joko garnered his first title in 1979 when he won the Munadi
\nCup championship for beginners aged 13 and under in Semarang,
\nCentral Java.<\/p>\n
\"I was very proud because I used my own money to take part in
\nthe tournament,\" said Joko.<\/p>\n
\"My father gave me some money every time I beat him and I
\nsaved that money,\" he said, beaming.<\/p>\n
It was his father who encouraged him to take up the sport
\nsince he operated his own badminton club in his hometown. The
\nclub's members were mostly the family's neighbors and relatives.<\/p>\n
\"I became addicted to the game,\" said Joko, one of five
\nsiblings who all had badminton training.<\/p>\n
He considers his father his first coach, although self-
\ndiscipline was the lesson he learned most from him.<\/p>\n
\"I had to be on time, had to take an afternoon nap, things
\nlike that,\" Joko recalled.<\/p>\n
After years of living as a \"perennial runner-up\", Joko shed
\nhis bridesmaid image by winning the Swiss Open in 1991 over
\ncountryman and teammate, Haryanto Arbi.<\/p>\n
His winning ways continued until an upset loss to compatriot
\nArdy Wiranata in the finals of the Indonesia Open later the same
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Joko shot to prominence when he took his first major
\ninternational title in February of last year by winning the Korea
\nOpen, the third leg of the Grand Prix circuit.<\/p>\n
He bagged his second major title last June by beating
\ncompatriot Hermawan Susanto 15-5 and 15-11 in a memorable all-
\nIndonesian final at the World Cup championship in Birmingham.<\/p>\n
Joko's winning streak continued at the Thailand Open in
\nNovember, once again at the expense of Hermawan whom he whipped
\nin the final.<\/p>\n
Thomas Cup<\/p>\n
With the Thomas Cup finals on the threshold, Joko has a great
\ndeal of confidence in the Indonesian team.<\/p>\n
\"We are a strong team, not only in the singles but also in the
\ndoubles. We also have strong team spirit, which I believe is an
\nimportant factor in our earnest bid to regain the coveted
\ntrophy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He even rated the current Indonesian Thomas Cup team as the
\nstrongest ever.<\/p>\n
\"Previously, the doubles players relied on the singles players
\nto snatch the all important winning points. Not this time. This
\ntime they also have great faith in their ability to contribute to
\nthe team,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Despite this confidence, Joko cautioned against complacency
\nand rated Denmark and defending champion Malaysia as the teams
\nwhich lurk dangerously in Indonesia's path toward recapturing the
\ncup it has won a record eight times, including four times in a
\nrow.<\/p>\n
\"We have to be very careful against them. And although China
\nis no longer considered a strong team, we cannot take beating the
\nonce mighty Chinese for granted,\" he said. Joko added that
\nIndonesia should keep a close watch on Malaysian ace Rashid Sidek
\nand Denmark's Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen and Thomas Stuer Lauridsen
\nin the singles and the Danish doubles pair of Thomas Lund and Jon
\nHolst-Christiansen.<\/p>\n
He is also convinced that the notorious Jakarta audience has
\nchanged.<\/p>\n
\"I've noticed that they have become friendlier towards us.
\nMaybe because we have such a good record, it seems like now they
\ncheer us on no matter how we perform,\" he said. \"In the past they
\nonly cheered us when we played well, but in a matter of minutes
\nthe cheers turned to jeers when the chips were down,\" he said,
\ndescribing how fickle the hometown badminton fans were.<\/p>\n
Joko has often come under fire from his critics for what they
\ncall his lack of consistency. They say he is the kind of player
\nwho plays brilliantly one day but flops the next. But Joko
\ninsists that now he has matured, thanks to all the criticism.<\/p>\n
\"I have changed in the past two years. I took all the
\ncriticism and tried to improve myself. Now I believe in
\npersistency, in fighting to the end, because even if I lose a
\nmatch, I don't lose my dignity,\" said Joko.<\/p>",
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