RI women's table tennis team demoted<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian women's team was relegated to
\nsecond division following its 3-0 defeat from second division
\nchampion Greece at the playoff match of the 46th World Table
\nTennis Championships on Tuesday in Osaka, Japan.<\/p>\n
AFP reported that Greek Archodoula Volakaki was too strong for
\nFauziah Yulianti, who gave up in a rubber set 21-15, 19-21, 25-
\n23.<\/p>\n
In the second match, Laoura-Ioulia Nikoulae beat Indonesian
\ntop player Rossy Pratiwi Dipoyanti 21-18, 14-21, 21-17.
\nIndonesia's defeat continued as Ekaterini Ntoulaki overpowered
\nChristine Feriana in a straight set 21-16, 21-14.<\/p>\n
The women's team suffered two earlier defeats to Belarusia and
\nRomania on Monday and finished at the bottom of Group D of the
\nfirst division.<\/p>\n
The national men's team also finished at the bottom of Group L
\nin the second division after a 3-1 defeat to the United States.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Ismu Harinto lifted hopes when he beat Barney Reed
\n21-15, 21-17 but David Jacobs dashed it with a 21-19, 17-21, 9-21
\ndefeat to David Zhuang. Junior player Reno Handoyo failed to earn
\none point, losing to Eric Owens 21-17, 13-21, 16-21. In the
\ndecider, Ismu lost to Zhuang in a straight set 15-21, 12-21.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Table Tennis Association (PTMSI) official in
\ncharge of competition, Singgih Yehezkiel, said that the poor
\nresult indicated the failure of the training program which had
\nstarted in February.<\/p>\n
\"There was no standard training method because the training
\nwas conducted separately in Bandung and Kediri,\" he was quoted by
\nAntara as saying.<\/p>\n
The separate training camps showed the club's owners
\narrogance, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The national interest was sacrificed because of such an
\nattitude.\"<\/p>\n
He also admitted that the Indonesian teams were not well-
\nprepared.<\/p>\n
\"We selected the key players just one week before leaving for
\nOsaka,\" he said, referring to the national selection procedure on
\nApril 14.<\/p>\n
\"We need at least two more weeks to prepare the key players to
\ncompete in such big events.\"<\/p>\n
China's all-conquering women's team swept into the second
\nstage after pummeling Lithuania while hardly raising a sweat.<\/p>\n
The Chinese rested world number two Li Ju for the tie,
\nsubstituting her with sixth seeded Yang Ying, AFP reported.<\/p>\n
Yang, alongside double Sydney Olympic gold medalist Wang Nan
\nand world number three Zhang Yining, thumped the Lithuanians 3-0
\nin just over an hour by which stage neighboring tables had barely
\nplayed their first match.<\/p>\n
The Chinese now take their place as top seeds in the next
\nround, playing, via the complex draw system, either a lower-
\nplaced first division group or a winning second division team who
\nwin a qualifying match.<\/p>\n
Another group winner on Tuesday was North Korea, which topped
\npreliminary Group G after beating Germany 3-0, following its
\ndefeat of Australia on Monday.<\/p>\n
The Germans finished above North Korea in the last world
\nchampionships, but faced a highly motivated squad cheered to the
\nrafters by thousands of drum-beating, flag-waving Japan-based
\nKoreans. (ivy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-womens-table-tennis-team-demoted-1447893297",
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