Shuttlers face daunting year<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An overwhelming Indonesia kept the badminton
\nworld map under its thumb in 1994, but a daunting year lies ahead
\nfor all world shuttlers vying for an Olympic Games berth next
\nseason.<\/p>\n
Badminton will make its second appearance as a full-fledged
\nmedal event in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. The
\nInternational Badminton Federation (IBF) has announced that the
\nworld grand prix series in 1995 will serve as qualifying rounds
\nfor the world's biggest sporting extravaganza.<\/p>\n
Susi Susanti and Alan Budikusuma are aiming for their second
\nOlympic laurels before confirming their wedding date.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt that Indonesia wrote its 1994 badminton
\nstory in style. As a solid team, it chalked up historical
\nvictories by bringing home the Thomas and Uber Cups. The team
\ncame just shy of repeating double glory at the Asian Games in
\nHiroshima when the South Korean women's shuttlers came charging
\nto sink a Susi Susanti-led squad.<\/p>\n
Indonesia won a total of 35 individual titles on offer at 20
\nworld grand prix championships series this year. They also set up
\na string of all-Indonesian finals in as many tournaments entered.<\/p>\n
The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), armed with
\nbrilliant coaches and state-of-the-art training methods, will be
\nfacing its most challenging season ever next year. The badminton
\nglobe trot starts with the Taipei Masters in mid-January.<\/p>\n
First of all, PBSI has been struggling to balance their elite
\nplayers with the second stringers.<\/p>\n
National women's team coach Liang Chushia is the preacher who
\nfrequently warns Indonesia of a possible Olympic nightmare.
\n"Nobody will go level with Susi in the next five years," she
\nsays. Liang's singles troop includes Yuliani Sentosa, Yuni
\nKartika, Mia Audina, Ika Henny, all with up-and-down records.<\/p>\n
"They are equal in skills, but they need extra composure to
\nmatch Susi," Liang said between long breaths. None of Liang's
\n"reserve squad" reached their peak this year, leaving the world
\nbadminton queen Susi alone in every tournament she joined.<\/p>\n
Mia perhaps has the brightest prospects in Atlanta. She was
\njust 15 when she won the decisive rubber for her side's 3-2
\nvictory over defending champion China in the Uber Cup final.<\/p>\n
The impressive teenager, renowned for her acrobatic cross-
\ncourt drives, notched another big name scalping when she
\noutlasted third seed Lim Xiaoqing of Sweden in the recent World
\nGrand Prix finals in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
Playing the exhausting single-fighter role cost Susi the
\nbiggest-ever upset in Hiroshima's Asian Games last October.
\nHizako Mitsui, popular at home but with no name in the badminton
\nworld, dashed Susi's dreams of Asiad gold in their semifinal
\nmatch.<\/p>\n
Aging players<\/p>\n
The year of 1994 saw an Indonesian men's singles team pushing
\nthe upper-age bracket, with Hermawan Susanto and Joko Suprianto
\nclose to the end of their golden ages. Indonesia's magnificent
\nthree of Ardy Wiranata, Hariyanto "the Jumping Jack" Arbi and
\nAlan Budikusuma will also lose some of their magic.<\/p>\n
Joko clearly ran out of steam when he suffered his second
\nsuccessive loss to Chinese ace Dong Jiong in Bangkok. Earlier,
\nthe Indonesian title holder had enough luck on his side to
\nsurvive a thriller against Dutch number one Jeroen van Dijk.<\/p>\n
Joko is expected to defend his world championship title in May
\nin Lausanne, Switzerland.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old Dong, conqueror of Hariyanto in the Asia Cup,
\nis coach Li Yongbo's best bet to re-establish China's
\nsuperiority, along with fellow players Sun Jun and Hu Zhilan,
\nboth in their early twenties.<\/p>\n
"Li has done a great job. He encourages dynamic, attack
\nbadminton and Dong is one of the most exciting players to come
\nalong in a long time," English badminton great Gillian Clark
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Both world number one Ardy and Olympic champion Alan will be
\n27 next year, while head coach Indra Gunawan is scrambling for
\nnew prodigies.<\/p>\n
"We can hardly rely on players who are riding their lowest
\nperformances," Indra says. PBSI, bidding for more Olympic triumph
\nin 1996, plans to field a bigger portion of young players in as
\nmany tournaments as possible over the next two years.<\/p>\n
"We want to have as many players as possible in the 1996
\nOlympics," Indra says.<\/p>\n
Ardy, winner of five titles this year, will start the 1995
\nseason as world number one. IBF has announced that all players
\nwill begin the new season and Olympic campaigns with their year-
\nend points.<\/p>\n
Indra has so far nurtured a back-up squad of Lioe Tiong Ping,
\nHendrawan and Fung Permadi to fill the shoes of Joko and his
\ntriumphant Thomas Cup team.<\/p>\n
Fung and Lioe secured places in world elite 16 in Bangkok, but
\nfailed to make further progress. Lioe was tamed by Ardy's
\nresilience, while Fung was no match for Dong. Lioe provided Indra
\na sigh of relief this year, despite his lone title in the
\nCanadian Open.<\/p>\n
It is no longer safe to assume that badminton crowns will be
\nbrought home to Jakarta when the Indonesian shuttlers join the
\nrace. (amd)<\/p>",
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