Badminton training center falls behind the times

Badminton training center falls behind the times

Moch. N. Kurniawan
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

A quick tour of the National Badminton Training Center in
Cipayung, East Jakarta, shows that some parts of it have seen
better days.

Several of its wooden badminton courts are scuffed and
scratched, and equipment in the cramped, stuffy fitness center is
rusting.

Set back off a side road in its own sprawling compound, the
center, officially opened by then president Soeharto in November
1992, boasts a badminton hall, fitness center, massage room,
offices, dormitories, cafeteria, prayer hall and parking areas.

It's hard to imagine from the state of some facilities --
looking more in keeping with a neighborhood sports center -- that
it has produced some of the sport's leading names, past and
present.

The upkeep of the gym is particularly irksome to men's doubles
player Luluk Hadiyanto.

"Well, when we go to the gym, we have to be careful about the
equipment because if we have a cut and it's still bleeding, we
might get tetanus," he said recently.

Upgrading the facility, he added, could help athletes get in
prime condition to compete.

"Even with the current condition of the fitness center, we
still keep training because we are athletes, but it may not be to
maximum effect."

Fitness workouts are scheduled for each Tuesday and Friday for
the shuttlers. Daily badminton practice is from 7:30 a.m.-11:30
a.m. and 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m., with a half-day on Saturday and
Sundays off.

For unmarried players like Luluk, the center is also home, as
the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) requires they live
on site (an exception is Athens Olympic gold medalist Taufik
Hidayat, who lives in his own residence).

Luluk complained about the quality and variety of meals served
in the center's cafetaria.

"Almost every day, we get tempe mendoan (deep-fried tempeh in
batter), eggs and rice," he said. "That isn't good enough as I
heard that PBSI allocated Rp 35,000 (US$3.8) to Rp 40,000 for
shuttlers' food. I prefer to eat outside the Cipayung training
center."

His complaints and those of other residents about the center
may be dealt with in the near future. New research and
development head Tan Joe Hok said last month that his goal was to
improve the facilities to a standard befitting the country's
leading athletes.

"Our program for 2005 is to repair everything that needs
fixing," he said. "The gymnasium, holes in the court, even to
having full AC in the dorms and to the food in the dining room."

Doubles player Candra Wijaya said the 21 practice courts need
particular attention.

"Currently, the condition of the badminton courts at Cipayung
is not really good anymore. But I've seen some repair work being
done after practice sessions, so I think PBSI understands the
situation."

Former national coach Ivana Lie, who coached the women's
shuttlers until last year, noted the fitness center was among the
facilities in need of improvement.

"We also don't have a device to the measure the players' heart
rate although we know that it is important to monitor their
fitness."

Ivana, like Tan, is a proponent of using state of the art
technology and science in preparing players for the challenges of
the court, including sports psychology.

"We should make a space for sport psychologists to help
improve shuttlers performance, but so far we underestimate their
role," she said.