Davis team member Edy faces penalty for skupping practice
Davis team member Edy faces penalty for skupping practice
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Davis Cup team member Edy
Kusdaryanto has skipped practice for two days due to illness.
Coach Dedy Prasetyo said on Wednesday that Edy only informed
the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) office staff about his
absence instead of contacting him personally.
"I'm still checking out whether he is seriously ill or not.
I'm worried that he is suffering Hepatitis B again, which he had
two years ago. But if he only has influenza, hopefully he'll
rejoin the squad soon," he said.
"Suffering hepatitis would mean Edy doesn't meet national team
requirements because his physical condition would be below par."
Dedy blamed Edy's love of nightlife as the main cause of his
illness.
"An athlete must be disciplined in practice, rest and diet.
That's a good lifestyle. With Edy's habit of hanging out at
night, I'm sure his physical condition easily deteriorates," Dedy
said.
The coach is to send a warning letter if Edy does not show up
or call him personally this weekend. He will likely expel the 24-
year-old player and appoint a replacement if there is no response
to the warning.
Edy, who joined the Davis Cup team in 1996, is being prepared
for the match against the Philippines from April 2 to 4 in the
Senayan Indoor Stadium along with teammates Suwandi, Febi
Widhiyanto and Hendri Susilo Pramono. They won their first match
against Qatar last month.
World-ranked 840 Andrian Raturandang, doubles specialist Bonit
Wiryawan and junior Surya Wijaya are among those under
consideration to replace Edy.
Dedy said he would stage a fitness test next week to evaluate
athletes' endurance and strength.
"If Edy can take part in the test and the result is negative,
I'll put him on the bench. Too bad that he skips practice because
he has a good chance of playing in the singles," the coach said.
He also said Pelti has received a letter from the Philippines
saying that its players approved of playing in Jakarta having
been given maximum security since their arrival.
The Filipinos had asked the International Tennis Federation
(ITF) to move the Davis Cup semifinal of the Group II Asia
Oceania zone to a neutral country. But Pelti has assured them of
security in the capital.
If Indonesia beats the Philippines, it will then meet the
winner between Thailand and Iran in the final in September. The
venue has yet to be decided.
Dedy said he would call up all players who participated in the
national selection process in January to play in a simulation for
the Davis Cup. They are Samsudin Pare, Surya, Sebastian da Costa,
Stanley Sanger, Bonit and Sulistyo Wibowo. (yan)