Tennis body backs up junior stars<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Tennis Association (PELTI) official
\nBenny Mailili believes national junior players deserve the chance
\nto perform in major events such as the Asian Games and the
\nOlympics.<\/p>\n
\"We have junior players who performed outstandingly in the
\nrecent SEA Games. We still have 13 months to prepare them for the
\n13th Asian Games in Bangkok next year,\" he said Friday.<\/p>\n
Benny expressed his disappointment with the National Sports
\nCouncil's spokesman Ishadi SK, who said Wednesday that Indonesia
\nwould not send tennis players in the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok
\nnext year unless world number 21 Yayuk Basuki played.<\/p>\n
\"We all know that Yayuk is our best player, but it doesn't
\nmean that our juniors, who had excellent achievements in the SEA
\nGames, won't be able to perform well,\" he was quoted as saying by
\nAntara.<\/p>\n
\"I think the council did not regard the juniors contribution
\nin the Games.\"<\/p>\n
In the SEA Games, Indonesia won three golds in the women's
\nevent and two golds in the men's event.<\/p>\n
Wukirasih Sawondari and Liza Andriyani, who were underdogs in
\nthe event, upset world ranked 37th Tamarine Tanasugarn of
\nThailand in the women's singles individual event and the team
\nevent.<\/p>\n
Liza and teammate Wynne Prakusya won the women's doubles
\nindividual event by upsetting top seeded Tamarine\/Benjamas
\nSangaram.<\/p>\n
The council's vice chairman, Arie Sudewo, said Friday that the
\nproposed sports to be competed in at the Asian Games were not
\nfinal.<\/p>\n
\"We still need to evaluate thoroughly the sports we are going
\nto compete in at the Asian Games. We won't send sports in which
\nour players will only use the event as a tryout. We'll only send
\nthose with prospects,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In preparation for the Asian Games, the tennis association
\nwill send juniors to compete in satellite or challenger
\ntournaments here and abroad. (yan)<\/p>",
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