Fung finds new life playing in Taiwan

COPENHAGEN (JP): Badminton lovers were sure that world number one Peter Gade Christensen would emerge victorious at the World Championships at Brondby Hall before his home crowd.

But underdog Fung Permadi, an Indonesian playing for Chinese Taipei, dashed such predictions. He defeated Gade Christensen 15- 11, 1-15, 15-14 in a dramatic match.

Fung, who was born in Purwokerto, Central Java, on Dec. 12, 1967, left Indonesia's National Badminton Center in 1994 after realizing that he would always be playing in the shadow of the country's top five players -- Alan Budikusuma, Ardy Wiranata, Joko Supriyanto, Hariyanto Arbi and Hermawan Susanto.

"Sometimes we need a tragedy to make us see what we have to do. It happened to me when I decided to leave the center. It increased my motivation to prove to everybody that I still existed and am good," he said.

The 31-year-old shuttler said he had matured in the past two years.

"When I was under pressure, I used to become very tense and rushed in the match. But now that I'm older, I have nothing to lose. I just want to keep the birdie in play. It's as simple as that," he said.

"I always listen to critics but pay less attention to compliments. When we feel we're on top, we're under more pressure because we know everybody wants to topple us," he said.

Fung has never before reached the semifinals in the World Championships. However, he won the Swiss Open, Taipei Open and Korean Open this year.

Fung, who played for the Djarum badminton club before moving to Taipei, said he wanted to qualify for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

"I don't want to be on top because then I will be an easy target for other shuttlers. It's a part of my strategy for the Olympics. But when I have the chance to win a tournament, I will take it," he said.

"I never really wanted to be the champion. I always limited my ambition but prepared myself physically and technically to do my best," he said.

Fung -- who speaks Javanese, Indonesian, English, Chinese and Korean -- plays for the Cooperative Bank Club. He signed a three- year contract with the club in 1995.

After the contract ended, he received a green card to stay in Taipei and said he was now an employee at the bank.

"My job is to play. If I have to work in the bank, then I will only be an office boy because I only graduated from high school," he said.

Fung married Cicilia Halim in 1997 and the couple have a son, Jason, who was born last year.

Fung also said he had a national coaching certificate.

"I took it with Agus Dwi Santoso (Hendrawan's coach)," he said.

However, he said it would be difficult to become a coach.

"As a player we enjoy our victories and losses by ourselves. As a coach, an athlete's success belongs to him, but when he loses you are condemned." (yan)