Low expectations for RI table tennis team<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian table tennis team has been working out at a
\nspecialized training camp in China, but the team manager still
\nbelieves his charges have little chance of matching the regional
\npowerhouses in the chase for gold at the Southeast Asian Games.<\/p>\n
Deddy Kurniawan Wikanta said here on Wednesday that his
\nplayers simply had less talent than their regional rivals.<\/p>\n
\"In the men's division, Singapore and Vietnam are still on
\ntop, while in the women's division, Singapore, Malaysia and
\nThailand are favorites,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Singapore, with several former Chinese players in its lineup
\nincluding Yang Che Lin in the men's division, took six of seven
\ngold medals on offer at the last SEA Games in Vietnam in 2003.<\/p>\n
Vietnam took the remaining gold, while Indonesia, once the
\ndominant table tennis force in southeast Asia, came away with a
\ndisappointing four bronzes.<\/p>\n
\"But we want to improve our achievement from four bronzes in
\n2003 to one or two silvers this year... so we've sent our players
\nto Guangzhou for the training camp,\" Deddy said.<\/p>\n
\"Who knows, maybe we can steal one gold from the men's
\ndoubles,\" he said, referring to local pairing of Yon Mardiono and
\nDavid Yacob.<\/p>\n
Indonesia had its golden era in table tennis when it won seven
\ngolds in the 1993 SEA Games.<\/p>\n
Guangzhou has been chosen as the training camp site for ten
\nIndonesian players since the province is known for its world-
\nclass players such as World Cup and Olympic champion Ma Lin.<\/p>\n
Deddy said that the players were undergoing intensive workouts
\nunder the supervision of three Chinese coaches.<\/p>\n
Included in the five-month program was a scrimmage with a
\nlocal junior team.<\/p>\n
Men's pair M. Husein and Reno Handoyo won 3-2 against Cing I
\nSung and Lu Yuen Hui. Men's singles Reno posted two 3-0 victories
\nand M. Husein also won one match.<\/p>\n
The other men's doubles pair Yon David lost 1-3 and 2-3 to Che
\nLiong and Chen Wen, although in singles, Yon beat Chen.<\/p>\n
In the women's division, Indonesian singles players Ceria
\nNilasari Jusma, Christine Ferliana both lost 0-3 against the
\nGuangdong junior players.<\/p>\n
Santi Febriani and Istiyani Lindawati were beaten 1-3 by their
\nGuangdong opponents. In the Asian Championship, the Indonesian
\nmen's and women's teams both finished in 10th place.<\/p>\n
Deddy said that Indonesian players had made some good progress
\nin terms of technique.<\/p>\n
\"Now, they can return quick and powerful shots so that the
\nopponents can't contiguously attack them,\" he said.<\/p>",
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