Badminton shows its street smarts

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In the ebbing darkness of early Sunday morning, badminton enthusiasts of all ages came to set a record on the city's main thoroughfare.

The official statisticians recorded exactly 640 players on 160 courts set up along the three kilometer stretch of Jl. Sudirman- Jl. Blora in Central Jakarta.

Officials, including Badminton Association of Indonesia chief Sutiyoso, State Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault and National Sports Council chairman Agum Gumelar, watched the "Badminton on the Street" event from the sidelines.

"We recognize the street badminton exhibition as a national record," chief of the Indonesian Record Museum Jaya Suprana said.

The event, which is also planned for five other cities, was also intended to publicize the Asian Badminton Junior Championship, beginning on Monday.

After the street show ended, a host of former champions, including Olympic gold medalists Susy Susanti and husband Alan Budikusuma, played an exhibition match against officials.