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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