Ardy's sweet revenge over Dong Jiong at World Championships

COPENHAGEN (JP): Two years ago in the Sudirman Cup in Glasgow, people cursed Ardy Bernardus Wiranata for losing to Dong Jiong in the semifinals against China.

This time in the World Championships at Brondby Hall, about 2,000 badminton fans threw their weight behind the Indonesian, who got his revenge against seeded 15 Dong 5-15, 15-11, 15-14 on Wednesday evening.

"I'm just a hobby player. I didn't think I could win this match. I was not training as much as before. But I tried to be patient.

"I just told myself, 'you want to beat me, beat me, but you have to fight me first.' I was very surprised because I only practice with my athletes. Of course, I want to win every single match, but not this match."

Ardy, who is representing the U.S. in the championships, is a head coach at a United States badminton center. He said would not consider making a comeback to compete as a professional shuttler.

"I'm old now. I almost died when I beat him. Do you know why I only asked for one point for the deuce? Because I'm really tired," he said with a laugh during a post-match conference.

Ardy vomited before playing the third game and after the match. Several officials waited for him to regain his composure before holding the conference.

Many Indonesian and other players, including Poul-Erik Hoyer- Larsen's wife, congratulated the former players' association chairman.

"The Danish crowd helped me a lot during the match. My thanks to them," said Ardy, who became the first coach to reach the top 16 in a major badminton event.

Ardy left Indonesia in April 1998 to coach at the Colorado Springs badminton national training center, Colorado, after he failed to maintain his performance. The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) has asked him to pay his tournament fees. His last tournament for Indonesia was the Swiss Open.

He coached eight shuttlers in Colorado, who are the best in the United States. His contract expires in 2000.

"Actually it's for preparing the athletes for the Olympics. My contract will end by the end of 2000."

Ardy, who married Lisa Tanzil in 1995, said his job now was to popularize badminton in the United States.

"That's not an easy thing to do because Americans don't really know it. But I'm satisfied that my team can stay in group four," said the 29-year-old shuttler, who failed to show up at the Sudirman Cup due to a problem with his passport in his new country of residence.

Ardy says he has no plans to change his citizenship.

Born in Jakarta on Feb. 10, 1970, as the youngest son of the Badminton Association of Indonesia's secretary-general, Leo Chandra Wiranata, Ardy started to play badminton at the Djarum club before being admitted to the National Badminton Center.

He won the silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, losing to compatriot Alan Budikusuma.

Ardy said he had no immediate plans to start a family.

"Maybe later. We're both saving money." (yan)