Angie 2001 best athlete: Polls

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Junior Wimbledon champion Angelique Widjaja was named 2001 best female athlete, while badminton player Hendrawan won the men's category at an award ceremony here on Sunday.

Angie, as the 17-year-old tennis player is popularly known, pipped the other four nominees in a lopsided readers' poll conducted by leading national sports tabloid Bola.

She took 10,136 of the 12,530 votes to beat cyclist Nurhayati, rock-climber Etti Hendrawati, runner Supriati Sutono and pole vaulter Ni Putu Desy.

"Thank God. And thanks to all those behind my most enjoyable year," she said after receiving the award during a ceremony broadcast live on RCTI.

Angie's glory also reflected on her mentor Deddy Tedjamukti, who was awarded the best coach trophy.

Hendrawan snatched the 2001 award to continue the domination of badminton players for the last decade since the sports' award program was incepted in 1988.

The 30-year-old, who pushed fellow shuttlers Tony Gunawan/Halim Heriyanto into the second place, said he was surprised at the choice.

"The best athlete award should ideally go to a young guy. Now that I have been awarded this at 30, I'm quite surprised. But it's all thanks to our badminton coaches and Bola readers, anyway," he said.

Meanwhile, the best team honor went to the national cycling squad which contributed 11 gold medals at the Malaysian Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

The squad defeated Jakarta-based soccer team Persija by a narrow margin of votes.

The ceremony was attended by officials of the National Sports Council (KONI), led by Chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar, and officials of KONI-affiliated sports organizations.

Also among the invitees was Russian Women's Grand Master (WGM) Alexandra Kosteniuk, who is currently on an Indonesian tour.