Elite shuttlers boost championship standards
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) defended on Tuesday the mandatory presence of elite players at the 2001 National Badminton Individual Championships, saying they boosted the event's standards.
The PBSI official in charge of tournament and referee affairs, Juniarto Suhandinata, admitted that the policy had sparked controversy among the organization's chapters nationwide.
"Those who support the policy say that the event will give provincial players a chance to play with shuttlers being groomed at the Indonesian Badminton Center (PBI)," said Juniarto, who also chairs the championships' organizing committee.
He said elite shuttlers were always eager to play in national events after spending most of their time playing around the globe.
Juniarto insisted that by taking part in the national championships, elite shuttlers provided a great opportunity for domestic supporters to watch their badminton idols play on court.
The critics, he said, asserted that top shuttlers would leave no space for their counterparts in provinces to win the championships.
It will be the second event this year where elite shuttlers have played shuttlers from provincial chapters after the National Badminton Team Championships were held in the capital of South Kalimantan, Banjarmasin, in February.
The National Championships will run from Wednesday through to Sunday at the Bung Karno Badminton Stadium. It will be the first major domestic event to use the new best-of-five seven points scoring system. Earlier in August, PBSI's West Java chapter adopted the new system on the Samsung-SGS Badminton Circuit.
The championships are divided into the senior and U-19 youth division. All junior shuttlers being groomed at the National Badminton Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta will compete in the senior division.
Representing West Java after quitting the badminton center in Cipayung, Indonesia's top shuttler Taufik Hidayat tops the seeds and is expected to meet world champion Hendrawan in the men's singles final in the senior division.
But they will have to overcome their younger training mates. In the upper leg, Taufik faces challenges from either Taufiq Hidayat Akbar or Ardiansyah in the quarterfinals.
Second stringers Johan Hadikusuma and Ronny Agustinus are the most likely opponents for Taufik in the semifinals, provided both of them can pass earlier tests.
In the bottom leg, Hendrawan should easily reach the quarters before a semifinal match against either second stringer Budi Santoso or juniors Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Wiempi Mahardi.
In the women's singles, Atu Rosalina heads the seeds and is expected to meet former training mate Yuli Marfuah, who left the badminton center days before Taufik, for the title.
Candra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto are the favorites to win the men's doubles, with only Nova Widhianto and Bambang Suprianto posing any real challenge.
In the women's doubles, the pair of Vita Marissa and old-crack Minarti Timur will see their junior training mates Enny Erlanga and Jo Novita stand between them and the title.
Veteran shuttlers are also expected to dominate the mixed doubles with Bambang and Emma Erlangga expected to meet Tri Kusheryanto and Vita to contest the title.
PBSI will also hold its national congress at Hotel Indonesia in Central Jakarta from Friday until Sunday. Among the agendas is to elect the new chairman to replace incumbent Subagyo Hadisiswoyo who has ruled out his reelection bid.
There are two strong candidates to fill Subagyo's shoes: former PBSI vice chairman and current vice president of the International Badminton Federation (IBF) Justian Suhadinata and businessman Chairul Tanjung. During the election on Sunday, some 300 delegates will cast their votes representing chapters and branches across the country.