Ailing Alvent likely to miss simulation match

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

World second ranked men's doubles player Alvent Yulianto could be out of commission when the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) holds a simulation competition in Bandung on Saturday for the Sudirman Cup mixed team world championship.

The players will be divided into two teams, Tiger and Eagle, for the matches, to be held at the badminton hall on Jl. Jakarta.

The Tiger team consists of men's singles player Taufik Hidayat, women's singles Fransisca Ratnasari, men's doubles pairs Joko Riyadi/Hendra AG and Candra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto, women's doubles pair Lita Nurlita/Nathalia Poluakan and mixed doubles pair Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir.

Sony Dwi Kuncoro (men's singles), Adrianti Firdasari (women's singles), Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan (men's doubles), Jo Novita/Greysia Polii (women's doubles) and Flandy Limpele/Yunita Tetty (mixed doubles) are on the Eagle squad.

Men's doubles coach Christian Hadinata said on Wednesday that Alvent, who usually partners Luluk Hadiyanto, was suffering from flu-like symptoms.

"If he is still sick, he might not go to Bandung for the simulation," he said.

Alvent, who reached the 2005 All-England men's doubles semifinals with Luluk after an outstanding 2004, said he had broken out in a rash.

"I didn't practice on Wednesday due to my sickness. I hope tomorrow I will be better."

Another member of the team, Simon Santoso, will not play in the simulation, but two men's doubles pairs -- Joko/Hendra AG and Markis/Hendra -- and women's doubles player Nathalia will also be in Bandung although they are not part of the team.

In the Sudirman Cup, to be held in Beijing from May 10-15, Indonesia is grouped with host and heavy favorite China, Hong Kong and Sweden.

The two top teams from each group go through to the semifinal stage. The association has targeted at least a semifinal place in Beijing.

Indonesia won the inaugural Sudirman Cup -- named after the man dubbed the country's "father" of badminton -- in 1989 and has been runner-up four times.