Chicken pox no threat to Indonesian shuttlers

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Badminton Association of Indonesia, Surjadi, confirmed yesterday that preparations for the Atlanta Olympic Games would continue despite the chicken pox cases in the squad.

Surjadi said that the badminton body would conduct vaccinations to prevent the disease spreading at the national badminton base camp at Cipayung, East Jakarta. Temporarily seclusion has also been imposed on the three female shuttlers who were diagnosed as having the contagious illness.

"Chicken pox will not defeat our preparations for the Olympics," Surjadi said during a Thomas Cup and Uber Cup victory celebration at the Tarumanegara University in West Jakarta yesterday.

Indonesia, parading 20 players, is setting its sights on two badminton gold medals in Atlanta, Georgia this July. Badminton players will make up more than half of the Indonesian team at the Games.

Uber Cup debutant Meiluawati, junior player Carmelita and Yuni Kartika, who all failed to qualify for Atlanta, were struck down with the disease prior to their departure to the Asia Cup championships, now underway in Seoul.

"It's not that strange if a badminton player, like anybody else, suffers from chicken pox," Surjadi said.

He admitted that medical experts of the badminton body have yet to discover how the players contracted the disease. (amd)