Anaheim will offer more than badminton at 2005 c'ships
Novan Iman Santosa, Jakarta
When people think of American sports, football, baseball, basketball or ice hockey might come to mind, while it would probably not occur to most to include badminton on the list.
The United States, in fact, has in the past notched up some impressive achievements in badminton, becoming the world's first three-time winners of the women's team Uber Cup championship in the 1950s.
It won the cup at the inaugural event in 1957 at Lytham St. Annes in Lancashire, England, defeating Denmark 6-1 in the final.
After defending the title twice, the U.S. relinquished the coveted cup to Japan, losing 5-2 in the final in Wellington in 1966.
The U.S. all but disappeared from the Thomas and Uber Cups until earlier this month in Jakarta when its men's team, led by former Indonesian star Tony Gunawan, qualified for the Thomas Cup, which was held concurrently with the Uber Cup.
However, the International Badminton Federation's decision in 2003 to name the Southern Californian city of Anaheim to host the 2005 World Championships may provide the momentum to reinvigorate interest in the sport among Americans.
"Badminton was a game among celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s when Hollywood stars played it for fun during their parties," the president of the Los Angeles Sports Council, David Simon, told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the recent Thomas and Uber Cups.
The Chinese men's team grabbed the Thomas Cup that Indonesia had held for 10 years, while the Chinese women won the Uber Cup for the fourth time in a row.
"The U.S. team performed well in the early contests of the Uber Cup but then our performance declined. I don't know why," Simon said.
Anaheim will host the World Championships from Aug. 15 to Aug. 21 at the Arrowhead Pond stadium, the home of the NHL ice hockey team the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.
Realizing that the sport is not a big draw in the U.S., Simon said organizers also planned to offer an off-court attraction -- a visit to Disneyland.
Simon said the travel package to Disneyland would be offered to spectators coming from outside the U.S., especially those from badminton's main countries.
"Not only do we have Disneyland but spectators can also opt for a trip to Las Vegas," he said, referring to the gambling city in Nevada state, some 400 kilometers from Anaheim.
Simon also said the event was expected to draw lots of spectators from Southern California's bustling Asian communities, in which the Asian badminton powerhouses are well represented.
"We have large communities of Chinese, Indonesians, Malaysians and South Koreans. Their home countries make up the largest part of badminton players (in the world).
"Their presence will create an international and exciting atmosphere during the competition, just like here in Jakarta," he said.
Simon applauded the excitement created by the home crowd at the 2004 Thomas and Uber Cups at the Bung Karno Indoor Stadium, during which local fans passionately cheered on the home players throughout the competition.
The Denmark team said the Jakarta venue was the most exciting place to play, with the roaring home crowds, which is much different from the generally quieter European venues.
Looking ahead to the 2005 championships, Simon spoke about the organizers' ideas for enlivening the competition.
"I am planning to introduce pom-pom sticks and hand them out for free to spectators at the entrance gates."
Simon also promises that all of the shuttlers would be granted visas to enter the U.S., which has tightened its entry requirements for male visitors from Muslim countries since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.