All England evaluation to be submitted

All England evaluation to be submitted

JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI)
has requested its coaches to submit a detailed evaluation of
Indonesian shuttlers' performances in the 2001 Yonex All England
Open last week.

The PBSI set a target of a total of three titles in the men's
singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles events but the shuttlers
only managed the men's doubles title with Tony Gunawan and Halim
Haryanto. The pair beat compatriots Candra Wijaya and Sigit
Budiarto in an all-Indonesian final.

"This detailed evaluation is important to review our failures
so we can modify our training programs. We can't afford to make
the same mistake twice," PBSI's training director Christian
Hadinata told reporters on Wednesday at his office in the
Indonesian Badminton Center (PBI) in Cipayung, East Jakarta.

"Based on the evaluation, we will also set a new priorities on
which events to go for and which shuttlers deserve more chances
to travel abroad," he added.

Christian also said that the All England was an intermediate
target and that the PBSI had its eye on the more prestigious
World Championships in Seville, Spain, in May.

"But still, the shuttlers should have done their best and not
have been so easily sent packing like (men's singles shuttler)
Taufik Hidayat was in the third round," he said.

"Taufik should have reached the semifinals or even the final
against Pullela Gopichand of India," he added.

Taufik beat Gopichand in the semifinals of the JVC Asian
Badminton Championship here last November and eventually won the
title.

Christian also emphasized that most men's singles players were
set to reach their peak performances in Seville instead of the
All England.

"But again, they should have had better results."

In a related development, Syaiful Arisanto, the chairman of
the Djarum badminton club from Kudus, Central Java, blamed lack
of preparation for the shuttlers' poor performances in the All
England, especially in the men's singles section.

"This failure proves that the PBSI didn't have a serious
program of preparation for the All England. The shuttlers only
had about two months of preparation," he said in Semarang
Wednesday.

"Closing the Cipayung training center was not an appropriate
solution because I can guarantee you that the shuttlers don't get
proper training sessions in their hometowns," he added.

"The shuttlers who were to take part in the All England should
have stayed in the center instead of returning home."

Syaiful said that the failure of the men's shuttlers was
intolerable, particularly for a world-class player like Taufik.

"Hendrawan's failure is understandable because he was just
getting married but the failures of the other men's singles
shuttlers are not."

Meanwhile, the PBSI is still waiting for the International
Badminton Federation (IBF) to find it seats on a flight from
Bandar Seri Begawan to Tokyo as has been promised by the
federation.

Indonesia will take part in the 2000 World Grand Prix finals
in the capital of Brunei Darussalam and the Japan Open which will
be hosted by Tokyo.

"The 2000 Grand Prix final in Bandar Seri Begawan will have
its final match on the afternoon of April 1 while the flight to
Tokyo leaves in the evening. The problem is that all the seats
are booked," PBSI secretary general Leo Chandra Wiranata said
over the phone.

"The next flight is on April 2 but the Japan Open starts the
next day. It's too risky for the shuttlers. So far, the Chinese
and Indonesian teams have both failed to get seats and it's the
IBF's responsibility," he said. (nvn/har)