Top stars to miss Malaysia Open<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Many of the world's best badminton players will
\nbe absent from the Malaysian Open, scheduled from Aug. 21 to Aug.
\n25.<\/p>\n
Following Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen's decision
\nto skip the grand prix tournament, Indonesia announced yesterday
\nthat it would send a team of junior players led by former Olympic
\nbronze medalist Hermawan Susanto.<\/p>\n
RAJ Gosal, the secretary-general of the Badminton Association
\nof Indonesia, said that Indonesia had originally picked 1992
\nOlympic silver medalist Ardy Wiranata to support Hermawan in the
\nfirst tournament since the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
\"I just heard this morning that Ardy is sick and he's likely
\nto miss both the Malaysian and Indonesian Open,\" Gosal said.<\/p>\n
Dane Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark and Indonesia's Joko Suprianto,
\nAlan Budikusuma and Hariyanto Arbi are notable absentees from the
\nMalaysian Open to be staged at Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
Gosal said that Indra Wijaya, Budi Santoso, Jeffer Rosobin and
\nIrwansyah would represent Indonesia in the men's singles and
\nMeiluawati, Lydia Djaelawidjaja, Olivia and Cindana in the
\nwomen's singles.<\/p>\n
\"The Malaysian Open is the right time for our young players to
\ncompete in an international event after the Olympics,\" Gosal
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
With the absence of Hoyer-Larsen, Denmark will rely on Thomas-
\nStuer Lauridsen, Martin Lungaard Hansen, Soren B Nelsen and Peter
\nGade Christensen.<\/p>\n
Hoyer-Larsen may extend his lay-off by skipping the Indonesian
\nOpen in Medan, North Sumatra, held a week after the Malaysian
\nOpen. Many top players will be absent in Medan including Olympic
\nwomen's singles champion Bang Soo-hyun of South Korea, Chinese
\nbadminton queen Ye Zhaoying, Malaysian Olympic men's singles
\nbronze medalist Rashid Sidek and men's doubles silver medalists
\nCheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock.<\/p>\n
Gosal made sure that Indonesia's top players would enter the
\nUS$170,000 Indonesian Open, the richest tournament in the world
\ngrand prix series.<\/p>\n
The only major Indonesian absentee is expected to be Gunawan.
\nGunawan decided to retire after the Olympics, in which he and
\nBambang Suprianto were eliminated in the second round.<\/p>\n
National coach Christian Hadinata said that Bambang would be
\npaired with a young player: \"It means he has to start from the
\nbottom if he is to continue his career.\" (yan)<\/p>",
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