Clear sailing for host shuttlers in Indonesian Open

Clear sailing for host shuttlers in Indonesian Open

by Hidayat Jati

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Despite the absence of formidable foreign
opposition and rampant walk-overs of provincial players in the
Indonesia Open badminton championships, the mastery of leading
Indonesian shuttlers is expected to enchant fans in this slow-
paced mystical tourist town.

"I don't think our players will be let down by the lack of so-
called worthy rivals," coach of the men's national team and
former doubles great Christian Hadinata told The Jakarta Post
here yesterday.

"In fact, this will only enhance their confidence since it is
clear that foreign players have avoided this event partly due to
the fear that our kids have instilled in them," he said in a
relaxed, matter-of-fact, manner.

The main draw of the US$166,000 tournament, which has men's
world singles champion Joko Suprianto and his female counterpart
Susi Susanti atop the seeding lists, will swing into full action
today.

On a separate occasion, South Korean coach Kwon Seong-taik
told the Post that he was realistic about his side's prospects,
despite the presence of big names like Park Sung-woo and Bang
Soo-hyun who head his team's lineup of four players in each
gender group.

"No one is better than your players now," he admitted.

Today's draw seems to confirm Kwon's remark. Susi earned a bye
straight through to the second round while Joko faces unfancied
Hans Jorg Bram of Germany.

Analysts suspect the foreign rivals, especially the top
Malaysians, are afraid of challenging Indonesia's dream team on
their home soil.

These pundits have drawn from the recent Thomas and Uber Cups
in Jakarta, where Malaysians were forced to endure thousands of
frantic bottle-throwing fans as well as the world's best squad.

"I'm sure they (Malaysians) are still somewhat shell-shocked
from that," Christian assumed.

The Malaysians claimed they failed to make the trip here
because they have to don their national colors at the
Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada next week.

RAJ Gosal, secretary general of the Badminton Association of
Indonesia (PBSI) quoted the Danish team manager as saying that
most of Denmark's players are too tired to participate in the
annual event.

The Danes did not even bother to replace Thomas Stuer-
Lauridsen who was forced to pull out of the tournament after
suffering a torn knee ligament during the World Cup final in Ho
Chi Minh City last Sunday.

Coach Morten Frost said his ace will be able to start training
in six weeks, but not resume match-play until late December.

Shame

Speaking during yesterday's press conference, Gosal also aired
his "concern" about the 18 walk-overs committed by the regional
shuttlers, mainly from East Kalimantan, during the Open's
qualifying rounds yesterday.

"It's a real shame, how can we teach discipline to our young
players if the team managers behave like that?" asked Gozal
rhetorically.

In the meantime, both the organizing committee and sponsors
have been frantically attempting to boost the event in this
becak-ridden college town, as evidenced by the numerous banners
adorning the 2,000 seat Among Raga stadium.

A local hairdressing salon has even erected a giant poster,
measuring four meters by five meters, of Susi Susanti on the
parking lot.

Meanwhile, the office of the organizing committee has been
swamped by hundreds of reporters who mostly complained about the
slow procedures and about the fact that they are required to sit
in the balcony and not courtside.

Some 60 military personnel will be mobilized to maintain law
and order at the venue. All types of bottles, cans and foods will
be banned inside the stadium in an attempt to prevent a replay of
the ugliness inside Senayan stadium last May.