Pessimistic tennis team heads to Vietnam<\/p>\n
Zakki Hakim
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian tennis squad is pessimistic about its medal
\nprospects at the upcoming 2003 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in
\nVietnam, as most of the team members are younger players, an
\nofficial has said.<\/p>\n
The squad's team manager, Kresno Merdiko, told reporters on
\nMonday that the junior players had not yet shown much
\nconsistency.<\/p>\n
\"Their performances are still unpredictable, going up and
\ndown,\" he said from the Indonesian Lawn Tennis Association
\n(Pelti) office.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the squad will still put in the practice time
\nwith a special training camp at Pelti chairperson Martina
\nWidjaja's residence, from Nov. 19 to 29.<\/p>\n
\"That will hopefully build the team's togetherness, at the
\nsame time finding the right pair for the doubles events,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
During the last couple of months the team members have been
\ntraveling around participating in various overseas tournaments
\nand have not yet prepared as a team, he said.<\/p>\n
The men's squad consists of Febi Widianto, Hendri Soesilo
\nPramono, Prima Simpatiaji and Suwandi, while the women are Wynne
\nPrakusya, Sandy Gumulya, Septi Mende and Maya Rosa.<\/p>\n
Kresno was particularly concerned with the women's squad,
\nespecially after their showing in recent tournaments, namely the
\nAfro-Asian Championship, ITF Indonesia and Philippines Circuit
\nTennis Tournament, where the girls showed inconsistent
\nperformances.<\/p>\n
\"They won in one tournament, but unexpectedly lost in
\nanother,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, he has some hope that one of them may come up with a
\nsurprise, because even the Thai tennis players, considered the
\nstrongest group, might be distracted by the pressure and ripe for
\nan upset.<\/p>\n
The squad is scheduled to leave for Ho Chi Minh city on Dec.
\n2, while the team events will start on Dec. 5 and the singles on
\nDec. 7.<\/p>\n
In previous events, particularly in the Kuala Lumpur games in
\n2001, Indonesia won five gold medals, followed by Thailand with
\ntwo.<\/p>\n
The five tennis golds in the 2001 SEA Games were part of the
\n72 overall golds collected by the Indonesian contingent to finish
\nin third behind Malaysia (111) and Thailand (103) in the final
\nstandings.<\/p>\n
The SEA Games are a biennial multi-event sporting showcase
\namong the 10 Southeast Asia nations.<\/p>",
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