Badminton body cancels plan to send athletes to clubs

JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia has canceled its plan to train national shuttlers at various clubs and provincial branches.

The association's athletic development deputy, Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar, announced yesterday that the association would train its shuttlers at the National Training Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta.

"The association's chairman (Subagyo Hadi Siswoyo) has decided to optimize the center and maintain all 65 shuttlers instead of reducing their number to 50," he said.

The association's initial plan to send all but a core team of national players to train in clubs and branches was meant to motivate them to practice harder in order to return to the center.

Soon after the association announced it was sending athletes to clubs and branches last month, six shuttlers resigned from the center.

They were seniors Alan Budikusuma, a 1992 Olympic gold medalist, Hermawan Susanto and Ardy B. Wiranata, who will coach in the United States. And juniors Dwi Aryanto who will play in Germany, Agus Heriyanto who will play in Hong Kong and Salim who will play in Brunei Darussalam.

"Naturally, the promotion and relegation system, which will be stage periodically, goes on due to many valuable offers from other countries," Siregar said.

Siregar said the center could still cooperate with clubs and branches, such as for training athletes while the center was possibly used to prepare the men's and women's nucleus teams for the Thomas and Uber Cups championships scheduled in Hong Kong in May.

"The association is ambitious to retain the Thomas and Uber Cups teams titles, Asian Games, Sudirman Cup, World Championships, Indonesia Open and 2000 Olympics. That's why my department is working hard to boost the athletes' form for the purpose," he said.

The association will also make profiles on athletes, listing their skills and stating their physical condition.

"Their records, which will be made based on IBF (International Badminton Federation) guidelines, are to improve their skills," Siregar said.

Siregar said he had not pressured the athletes about winning.

"I told them that I don't need titles, but I asked them to bring in as many dollars as they could by being winners in each tournament," he said.

"Sometimes players are under pressure if we tell them they must win. Money can motivate them," he added with a smile.

After the Swedish Open and the All England badminton championships, the association will prepare 10 male and 10 female athletes for the Thomas and Uber Cups championships.

Indonesia, through men's doubles Candra Wijaya/Tony Gunawan, won a title in the Swedish Open, which ended Sunday. The country is also sending 22 athletes to All England, which starts tomorrow.

"The chairman has urged the shuttlers to concentrate on the Thomas and Uber Cups despite rumors that the IBF might cancel them due to sponsorship problems," Siregar said.

Indonesia won both cups in 1994 and 1996. (yan)