Thomas, Uber Cup squads to be decided fairly<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) promised on Tuesday
\na fair and transparent selection of players for the 2002 Thomas
\nCup world men's team championship and its women's category Uber
\nCup.<\/p>\n
\"We have placed most of the shuttlers joining the Indonesian
\nBadminton Center (PBI) into the provisional lineup, which
\nincludes several junior players,\" PBSI secretary-general Lutfi
\nHamid told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"We will evaluate them based on to their training progress. If
\nthe juniors can beat their seniors, they will surely deserve
\nplaces in the team.\"<\/p>\n
Lutfi was trying to play down a move by PBSI to name several
\nformer national players in the provisional lineup for the Thomas
\nand Uber Cups.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, PBSI announced the skeleton of the national
\nteams for both the Thomas and Uber Cups, which consisted of 20
\nmen shuttlers and 18 women.<\/p>\n
To everyone's surprise, former national players Ellen Angelina
\nand Yuli Marfuah in the women's side, and Taufik Hidayat and Tony
\nGunawan in the men's division, were among candidates for the
\nteam. The four have left the badminton center.<\/p>\n
Ellen asked PBSI to pick her coach, Liang Chiu Sia, who is a
\nformer national coach, into the team, and PBSI agreed
\nimmediately.<\/p>\n
The Uber Cup roster boasted senior players Deyana Lomban, Emma
\nErmawati, Lidya Djaelawijaya, Minarti Timur and Vita Marissa,
\nAccompanying them were second stringers Atu Rosalina, Chindana
\nHartono, Dewi Tira, Dian Novita Sari and juniors Eny Erlangga, Jo
\nNovita, Rossi Riani, Diah Novita, Eny Widowati, Endang
\nNursugianti and Lita Nurlita.<\/p>\n
Jacob Rusdianto has been appointed Uber Cup team manager with
\nIvana Lie his deputy. Meanwhile, PBSI's training director
\nChristian Hadinata will be the Thomas Cup team manager.<\/p>\n
World champions Hendrawan and Candra Wijaya will spearhead the
\nThomas Cup team, together with Bambang Supriyanto, Halim
\nHaryanto, Marlev Mainaky, Sigit Budiarto and Tri Kusheryanto.<\/p>\n
Also in the team are second stringers Budi Santoso, Johan
\nHadikusuma, Rony Agustinus, Nova Widhoanto, Endra Mulyajaya,
\nLuluk Hadiyanto, Wahyu Agung and juniors Alvent Yulianto,
\nArdiansyah, Hendra A Gunawan and Sony Dwi Kuncoro.<\/p>\n
\"PBSI wants to recruit all the good shuttlers by inviting
\nformer national shuttlers into the shadow team,\" said Lutfi, who
\nalso acts as the project manager.<\/p>\n
\"All shuttlers have an equal opportunity to be in the main
\nteam. It will be decided on court by themselves.\"<\/p>\n
Lutfi said PBSI was concentrating now on preparations for the
\nUber Cup semifinals round, to take place from Feb. 20 until Feb.
\n24 in Melbourne, Australia.<\/p>\n
\"We must admit that our women shuttlers are not as strong as
\ntheir predecessors several years ago, not to mention that most of
\nthe seniors have been struck by injury,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Our current concentration doesn't mean we have forgotten the
\nThomas Cup team as we still have time for better preparation.\"<\/p>\n
The last time Indonesia held the Uber Cup was in 1996 after
\ndefeating China in Hong Kong but China captured the cup in 1998,
\nalso in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is the current defending champion in the Thomas Cup
\nand has an automatic place in the finals round in Guangzhou,
\nChina next May.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thomas-uber-cup-squads-to-be-decided-fairly-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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