Andre wants a fair shot at stardom
Andre wants a fair shot at stardom
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Andre Kurniawan presents a heartfelt homage to Olympic badminton men's singles champion Taufik Hidayat every time he takes the court.
Andre's lethal jump smashes, cutting drives, cunning flicks over the net, superb reflexes and resilient defense are reminiscent of his sporting idol.
He also dreams big of matching Taufik's success.
"I want to go international. Winning the Olympics is every shuttler's dream, and mine too," Andre told The Jakarta Post before a straightforward win over Sakti Kusuma in the semifinals of the National Junior Championships here.
But Andre, who turned 18 in December, has already encountered a detour in his plans.
After winning the national junior title in Denpasar in 2003, Andre was called up to the National Training Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta. His wins in the Jakarta Open and Taiwan Open junior championships in 2004 seemed to confirm his promise.
Unfortunately, they failed to impress Cipayung's administrators, now under director Icuk Sugiarto following the change in the chairmanship of the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) from Chairul Tanjung to Sutiyoso.
First, Andre was excluded from a junior team for the World Junior Championship in Canada in October. Then he was informed that he was being let go from the center.
"I don't understand the reason behind my relegation from Cipayung. They said I had performed poorly at the National Games," Andre, a member of Djarum Kudus badminton club of Central Java, said.
At the Games in September in Palembang, South Sumatra, Andre was stopped in the last 16 by Simon Santoso. However, fellow Cipayung member Markus Wijanu, who lost in the last 32, was sent to Canada.
In another decision that drew protests from the Central Java chapter, Icuk's son Tommy also was selected for the team.
"Of course I was disappointed. But I will not let my disappointment overwhelm me. I'd better let it go."
Andre was born into a family that loves badminton, although his parents considered it more of a hobby than a sport to be taken seriously. His two younger brothers do not seem to be interested in playing competitively.
He first considered badminton as a future career when he was in fourth grade in his hometown of Kudus, and decided to make a commitment to the sport.
Since completing high school last year, Andre has devoted all his energy to becoming a better player.
"It would be hard to share my time between school and training. I want to be totally focused on playing badminton. I believe badminton can be a financial mainstay providing that I give my best in every tournament."
The success of Taufik, long considered the talented but temperamental bad boy of the sport, in Athens -- as well as his huge financial windfall -- motivates him.
"I'm impressed by his mental grit."
PBSI is using the junior tournament here to scout for talented players to be groomed for stardom. If Andre succeeds in taking the title on Saturday over East Java's Fauzi Adnan, then the door to Cipayung should open once again.
Andre, forced to prove himself a second time, simply wants a fair shot at stardom.
"If I can win this tournament, then nobody should ignore me. I deserve my place."
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