Retno Kustijah resigns from badminton center<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's women's singles coach Retno Kustijah
\nofficially resigned from the National Badminton Center on Monday.
\nRetno said she resigned because she wanted to focus more of her
\nattention on her club, Jaya Raya, where she felt more needed.<\/p>\n
"I think the club needs me more than the center. However, I
\nhave brought my players to the international stage," she said in
\na telephone interview.<\/p>\n
Retno, better known as Kus, once coached the 1996 Olympic
\nsilver medalist Mia Audina, world No. 7 Cindana Hartono and a
\nnewcomer, Yuli Marfuah.<\/p>\n
Since Mia and Cindana joined the 1998 Uber Cup team, Retno had
\nonly three athletes; they are juniors Yeni Dyah, Melissa Dewi and
\nYuli.<\/p>\n
The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) decided early
\nthis month to expel both Yeni and Melissa due to their stagnant
\nachievements in international junior events.<\/p>\n
But Yuli was promoted to the seniors, under supervision of
\ncoach Liang Chiusia, due to her victory in the 1999 Singapore
\nsatellite.<\/p>\n
Yuli herself was shocked by the decision.<\/p>\n
"I was really shocked when Mbak Kus told me on Saturday that
\nshe wouldn't coach me anymore starting today. I was really sad, I
\nmiss her. All this time she has taken me to the Ragunan sports
\nschool to spar with Jaya Raya men's singles," she said.<\/p>\n
A source said Retno was unsatisfied with the training system
\nin the center as she had only three athletes while Chiusia had
\nfive. The source also said Retno had just one court to practice
\non while Chiusia had three.<\/p>\n
During the Uber Cup team preparations, Retno had to take her
\nthree athletes to Ragunan as they were not allowed to practice at
\nthe center.<\/p>\n
"Some people complimented her, saying she was creative, but I
\nthink it's a way to send her out from the center nicely," the
\nsource said.<\/p>\n
Retno, who partnered with Minarni to win the 1962 and 1966
\nAsian Games gold medals, said she had handed her resignation
\nletter to center training director Christian Hadinata on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
"I told Christian that I was sorry to leave the center and I
\nhad written the letter on March 31, but I kept delaying my
\nintention to resign. Now I think it's the right time," said
\nRetno, who along with Minarni won Indonesia's first women's
\ndoubles title in the 1968 All England competition. Retno's
\nassistant, Lany, also resigned following Retno's decision.<\/p>\n
But Christian denied that he had received a resignation letter
\nfrom Retno.<\/p>\n
"She didn't tell me she would resign. She only said she wanted
\nto concentrate on her club. I told her to make an official
\nresignation to the chairman," he said.<\/p>\n
PBSI secretary-general Leo Chandra Wiranata also said he had
\nnot yet received a resignation letter.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PBSI plans to send 29 athletes to the Malaysia Open
\nin Kelantan from June 30 to July 4. They are men's singles Jeffer
\nRosobin, Johan Hadikusuma, Rony Agustinus, Indra Wijaya and
\nwomen's singles Meiluawati, Cindana and Yuli Marfuah.<\/p>\n
Men's doubles Candra Wijaya\/Tony Gunawan, Flandy Limpele\/Eng
\nHian, Denny Kantono\/Antonius, Halim Heryanto\/Imam Tohari and
\nwomen's doubles Elysa Nathanael\/Deyana Lomban and Cynthia
\nTuwankotta\/Etty Tantri will also take part in the event.<\/p>\n
PBSI plans to field mixed doubles specialists Bambang
\nSuprianto\/Tri Kusherjanto in the men's doubles and Zelin
\nResiana\/Minarti Timur in the women's doubles despite their
\nspecialty in the mixed.<\/p>\n
Jeffer, Rony, Johan, Indra, Ellen, Meiluawati and Yuli will
\ndirectly head to Bangkok for the Thailand Open from July 7 to
\nJuly 11.<\/p>\n
Men's doubles Hermono\/Ade Lukas, Endra Mulyajaya\/Hadi Saputra,
\nHalim Heryanto\/Wahyu Agung, women's doubles Elysa\/Deyana,
\nAngelina de Pauw\/Vita Marissa and mixed doubles Wahyu Agung\/Emma
\nErmawati, Imam\/Vita will join them in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
Both tournaments are to be used for warming up before the 20th
\nSoutheast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam from Aug. 7 to
\nAug. 15.(yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/retno-kustijah-resigns-from-badminton-center-1447893297",
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