Curtain brought down on national sports woes
Curtain brought down on national sports woes
By Robert Soelistyo and Dwiatmanta
JAKARTA (JP): Whereas 1994 was remembered as a promising year for Indonesian sport, highlighted by the success of winning two world badminton supremacy symbols -- the Thomas Cup and the Uber Cup -- 1995 has shattered all hopes with the defeat of the nation's best athletes in the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
It was a repeat of what Indonesia suffered 10 years ago in Bangkok, where the region's mighty "big brother" was toppled from its leading position. A position it had held since 1977, when Indonesia made its debut at the biennial sporting extravaganza.
There is no other consolation word to sum up the fate of Indonesian sports throughout the year than setback. Indonesia's failure to keep its highly esteemed status as the most powerful sporting nation in Southeast Asia was ample proof and the clearest illustration of this setback trend.
The kingpin of sports in the region for the last six years, after the 1989 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, was emphatically dethroned from its top position by a high-riding and highly-motivated Thailand, which zealously battled it out at the just concluded SEA Games in Chiang Mai.
The marauding Thais, competing on home ground, reigned supreme in almost all the 28 medal sports. They stormed to 157 golds, 98 silvers and 91 bronzes to stand head and shoulder above Indonesia which labored to gain 77 golds, 67 silvers and 77 bronzes.
Thus, the 18th SEA Games in Chiang Mai sadly marked an end of Indonesia's unshakable control of the regional sporting extravaganza. It failed to keep up with the pace of tremendous improvement demonstrated by the Thais, who by doing so, presented another crown to the their king on the 50th anniversary next February of his ascension to the throne.
In the process, the host country duly lived up to its ambitions of seizing back sports supremacy in the region after a 10-year lapse since their victorious performance in Bangkok.
Before everybody searched for the scapegoat, Indonesian team's chef de mission Arie Sudewo resigned from his top post at the National Sports Council. Chairman of the council, Wismoyo Arismunandar, however, has yet to release his deputy pending a plenary meeting next month.
The overall picture of Indonesia's sports achievements this year on the international scene would have been more gloomy indeed if not for a few individuals who, with their commendable performances, spared the country from being overly embarrassed.
Shuttler players Susi Susanti and rising-star Mia Audina in the women's division; their counterparts in the men's division, including world champion Hariyanto Arbi, Joko Suprianto, Ardy Wiranata and world doubles champions Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky; world number 24 in the WTA ranking Yayuk Basuki; and chess player Utut Adianto, were but some of the athletes credited for bringing honors to Indonesia in 1995, which proved to be a paltry year for Indonesia in the international sports arena.
Badminton
Badminton, Indonesia's most popular playing sport, could salvage the pride of the country of 190 people despite the declining prowess.
All England this year landed the strongest badminton powerhouse its most bitter smash when Hariyanto and Susi lost their singles crowns. Susi was no more invincible, crashing to China-born Swede Lim Xiaoqing in the semifinals, while an uninspiring Hariyanto tumbled to Denmark's Poul Erik Hoyer-Larsen in the final.
Susi flopped again in the World Championships semifinals, this time to old foe and eventual winner Ye Zhaoying of China. Hariyanto, whose defeat to Sun Jun cost Indonesia its Sudirman Cup mixed team trophy, bounced back to win the men's singles laurels.
As Susi scrambled all the way to maintain her top billing, Ye kept up her big pressure. The Chinese extended her winning streak over Susi in the World Cup final here last September and now is eying Susi's Olympic gold and world number one ranking. Ye sealed this year with another title at the Grand Prix Finals in Singapore.
Injury added Susi's insult in November. The 25-year-old badminton queen limped off the court with strained Achilles tendon in her semifinal match against South Korea's Bang Soo-hyun in the China Open which halt her from three successive major events.
It was Joko, the oldest surviving former star, who played the pivotal role in keeping Indonesia's grip on badminton world. He displayed his masterful endurance to grab the Grand Prix Finals, with a hard-fought win over China's Dong Jiong, winner of Hong Kong Open and Thai Open.
Best host
However, when it comes to being a host nation in sports events, Indonesia was always rated as the best host of international sports.
The sports arena was home to a cheerful festival during the 50th anniversary of independence this year. Sports have become an important concern to developing countries like Indonesia.
In January, when people were still recollecting the great moments of 1994, the sporting year started with the Indonesia Open tennis championships, the most lucrative tennis tournament the country has ever held.
The Indonesian Tennis Association, under its new governing figures, earmarked more than US$600,000 to stage the women's and men's championships in two consecutive weeks. Local players enjoyed a rare meeting with foreign players.
Performance-wise, excepting Indonesian tennis queen Yayuk Basuki, the country's hopefuls were no match for the hard-serving aliens. Sabine Hack, ranked 19 on the Women Tennis Association, took the women's championships singles crown and Paul Haarhuis of the Netherlands bagged the men's singles title.
Yayuk, making her title defense attempt, crashed out in the semifinals due to diarrhea.
Three months later, a heroic Yayuk sprang a surprise by toppling one of world's best players, Gabriela Sabatini, in a Federation Cup tie against Argentina.
Yayuk's 7-5, 6-4 win, however, was not enough to give a struggling Indonesian team a victory as the Argentinean pair of Sabatini and Patricia Tarabini staved off the persistent challenge of Yayuk and Romana Tejakusuma 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 for an overall 3-2 win.
The loss forced Indonesia to travel to Italy for a World Group play-off in July. Yayuk and company survived 3-2 and stayed in the world top 16.
National tennis saw unpleasant developments this year. Indonesia dropped its privilege of hosting the World Doubles Championships after private station TPI broke its two-year broadcasting deal with the ATP Tour, the men's professional tennis body, in July. The ATP moved the $1.3 million tournament to Eindhoven, Holland. Former world number one team Grant Connell and Patrick Galbraith took the title.
The saddest page of the Indonesian tennis story came in December at the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Indonesia lost its dazzle after Yayuk succumbed to local heroine Tammarine Tanasugarn in the women's team. The national team won three gold medals, but it surrendered the prestigious men's and women's singles crowns to the Thais.
Bridge
The 5th World Junior Bridge Team Championships held in Kuta, Bali, from July 8 to July 17, was one of clear examples of how successful Indonesia was as a host nation. Unfortunately, its bridge team, citing a lack of international performances as the reason, was forced to stay at the bottom of the 12-nation meet won by New Zealand.
So amazing was Indonesia in preparing and organizing such an international event, with praise coming from World Bridge Federation president French Jose Damiani, who was impressed by the reports of Indonesia having done such a marvelous job of organizing the tournament, all were glowing.
On the golf course, as the host country, Indonesia was successful in entertaining foreign golfers. Unfortunately, when it came to which Indonesian golfers (pros) managed to collect the top cash prizes on offer, ranging from US$100,000 or above, the most they could offer was inclusion among the best 20, or lower, in a gallery of 52 foreign golfers in a US$250,000 event.
Archery
The golden year celebration continued with the World Archery Championships in August. Blessed with the rare honor of being opened by President Soeharto, the world archery meet had to fight it out to clear up a diplomatic row about the inclusion of the Israeli and Portuguese teams in the list of participants.
Indonesia has no diplomatic ties with these countries, but a ruling by the World Archery Federation (FITA) suggests that a host country shrug off any political barrier.
Only Portugal turned up eventually under FITA's flag, a compromise agreed by both FITA and Indonesia. The Israeli team withdrew because it was not willing to represent anybody but its country.
South Korea pledged to keep its control over the Olympic round events, but found Moldavian women's archer Natalia Valeeva denied it a clean sweep. The South Korean women failed to make it to the final which pitted Valeeva and Barbara Mensing of Germany against each other.
The United States dominated the compound events which made their debut in the official world meet. It won three golds, with the women's individual going to France.
Indonesia finally took a medal thanks to the brilliant performances of Nurfitriyana Lantang, Hamdiah and Dahliana. The women's trio finished third in the Olympic team round to land the country's only medal at the championships.
Once again, Chiang Mai's SEA Games proved a graveyard for Indonesian athletes when Nurfitriyana and company failed to maintain their standards. Two last minute gold medals in the men's and women's teams saved Indonesia from blushing. The Philippines upset Indonesia in the prestigious men's and women's individual competitions.
Athletics
President Soeharto made his second appearance at a sporting gala in late September at the Madya Senayan stadium, the venue of the 11th Asian Track and Field Championships.
Wang Junxia also reappeared after half a year of absence, to lead China to 20 golds, 13 silvers and five bronzes, retaining its long-time supremacy.
Wang, the women's world 10,000m record holder, sped to two golds on modest form. She disagreed, however, that the lack of turtle blood from coach Ma Junren was to blame for her slower run.
Amid China's thunder, the rest of the Asian countries remained in balance. Qatar, despite the absence of top Asian sprinter Talal Mansoor, dashed to five golds. Japan's new bloods and newcomer Kazakhstan won three apiece, and South Korea took two.
Sri Lanka, an athletic minnow, stole the show with two golds from Susanthika Jayasinghe in the 200m and Shriyani Kulawansa in the 100m hurdles. The victories won by its' female runners were Sri Lanka's first laurels in the championships' history.
But the glory turned into misery for Sri Lanka when Jayasinghe failed her first dope test. The world amateur athletic body was waiting for the second test as Jayasinghe lifted her country a golden double at the South Asian Games last week.
Indonesia finished far below at 14th, thanks to two consoling silvers from Tri Asih Handayani who finished second behind Wang in 5,000m and 10,000m. Only five runners joined each of the races.
The biggest win for Indonesia was possibly that Mohammad Hasan, a timber baron, was reelected as the president of the Asian Amateur Athletic Association for the next four-year term.
Track and field agony continued at the SEA Games when a medal famine struck Indonesia. Only seven golds were secured by the Indonesians, compared to Thailand's massive harvest of 21 golds.
Shooting
Senayan saw another big event as well as China's stiffening grip over Asian sports in the 8th Asian Shooting Championships late October. The shooting meet ended with China pocketing 23 golds. But South Korea served a notice by winning 10, at the expense of China.
The championships also witnessed Indonesia celebrating its return to the list of medal winning countries after 12 years. It was the women's double trap trio of Sarmunah, Supadmi and Silvia Silimang who earned the host team the much awaited medal.
Indonesia added another bronze in the newly introduced women's running target, but it failed to move from the 12th place it achieved at the previous meet in Beijing.
Supadmi was once again the toast of the Indonesian shooting team at Chiang Mai's SEA Games. She won the double trap gold medal and led an Indonesian trio to complete a second to give her country its only two golds at the SEA Games.
Window A: Thus, the 18th SEA Games in Chiang Mai sadly marked an end of Indonesia's unshakable control of the regional sporting extravaganza.
Window B: Senayan saw another big event as well as China's stiffening grip over Asian sports in the 8th Asian Shooting Championships late October.