Badminton champion Poul-Erik does it his way

By Arif Suryobuwono

HONG KONG (JP): The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what it turns them into. This idealism seems to be the anchor which keeps Denmark's two-time reigning All-England champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen firmly moored to badminton's quay.

"Compared to tennis, badminton is miles behind in terms of both prize money and international recognition," Poul-Erik, who earns his living solely by playing badminton, told The Jakarta Post.

"I'm not obsessed with making more money. Besides, I know that my gift is for badminton, not tennis," he added.

Top tennis players can make millions. Their badminton counterparts can consider themselves lucky to get even a tenth as much.

Poul-Erik said that for the time being he draws his income from just two sponsors, sports equipment manufacturer giant Yonex and Danish telecommunication company Teledenmark. "That's enough to live off," he said.

And that is all he gets as a badminton player in Denmark.

Unlike Indonesian shuttlers who can expect big bonuses from the government, the Badminton Association of Indonesia and the country's business community for boosting the country's pride, top Danish shuttlers get virtually nothing from either the Danish government or the Danish badminton association.

Poul-Erik's coach, Morten Frost, said that to earn a living a shuttler in Denmark has to find sponsors himself.

For top players such as Poul-Erik, it is of course easier to find a sponsor, former All-England champion Frost said. But for players whose performances are just so-so, it is very hard to live off badminton alone.

"This is often a dilemma for a young shuttler," Frost said, "If he has enough faith that he can become a great player, he will have to devote his whole life to badminton. Otherwise he should lead a 'normal' life, going to university so that he can get a good job one day."

Full-timer

And Poul-Erik had the faith. "I decided to become a full-time badminton player at 18 when I finished high school. "

"I was sure I could become a top player because I was one of the best singles players in Denmark when I was 16 and 17. I would say that my skills developed naturally because I was taught to play by my mother, who was an avid badminton player herself, since I was five."

"I said to myself: I have to start now. Otherwise I will never make it," said Poul-Erik, who was born on Sept. 20, 1965 in Esbonderup, 60 km north of the Danish capital of Kopenhagen.

Before choosing badminton, he had tried soccer, the most popular game in his country, when he was 12 and 13. But he felt he did not play soccer as well as he played badminton.

Though he made up his mind to make his living from badminton at 18, it was not until he was 19 that he started his full-time badminton career.

"My school offered me a part-time job as substitute teacher for Danish. I also taught mathematics, English and sports, particularly badminton," said Poul-Erik.

He said his greatest moment in badminton was when he beat world champion Hariyanto Arbi in last year's All-England Open championship final 17-16, 15-6.

"For me, Hariyanto is the most difficult player to beat. He plays wonderfully when he's at his best," Poul-Erik said.

He added that the other great moment was when he beat China's Yang Yang. "Yang Yang has won two world championships. That's why I was proud after beating him in the Danish Open in 1988."

Poul-Erik, a father of a one-year-old son, said his only "bad time" in badminton was when he lost to Indonesia's Ardy Bernadus Wiranata in the quarter-finals of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

Winning Olympic badminton competitions is very important for Poul-Erik because such victories increase his sponsorship income.

Upsurge

Poul-Erik practices with some other shuttlers for two to three hours in the morning on workdays. In the evening, his regime consists of weight training and aerobic training.

"But the problem is that we do not have many players. Pre sently Denmark only has three players with more or less equal skills. Asian shuttlers have a much bigger pool of sparring partners. That's why they are better than us," said Poul-Erik.

Poul-Erik may be trying to play it down. Frost said that Denmark is now enjoying an upsurge in badminton. We have to thank Poul-Erik for increasing the popularity of the game in Denmark.

"Soccer is still the most popular game in our country but Poul Erik has brought badminton to a new high. He is a sort of sports hero in our country. More and more youngsters now play badminton."

"Statistics show that four years ago, we only had four men's singles players in the world top 84. Now we have 10 players in the world top 60," Frost said. "What's more, we have persuaded more sponsors to help our rising players," he added.

31-year-old Poul-Erik said his strength lies in the control of the shuttlecock and his weakness in his tendency to lose too many easy points.

Given his age, the Atlanta Olympic Games could well be his last chance to fulfill his greatest ambition: becoming an Olympic gold medalist. "I will still be playing competitively for perhaps another two years," Poul-Erik said.

And then, what he will do if he has to say goodbye to his career? The answer is simply: "I don't know."