Hendrawan, a true champion

Novan Iman Santosa and Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Guangzhou/Jakarta

A week before heading to Guangzhou, China, for the 2002 Thomas and Uber Cup badminton championships, Hendrawan was struggling with two big problems.

First, he only received his Republic of Indonesia Citizenship Certificate (SBKRI) after President Megawati Soekarnoputri intervened personally and ordered officials at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to rush through his paperwork.

Second, he had to come to terms with the new seven-points-best-of-five-games scoring system being used in badminton. This new system does not fit his playing style, which is more suited to the longer rallies that characterized play under the old system.

The 29-year-old Hendrawan put these struggles behind him and showed his class on Sunday, taming Malaysian third singles Muhammad Roslin Hashim in the do-or-die deciding match to secure Indonesia's fifth consecutive and 13th overall Thomas Cup victory.

The man who stayed so calm on the court during the pressure- filled match burst into tears as his teammates carried him on their shoulders in a victory lap, cheered on by Indonesian students based in Guangzhou.

Hendrawan was able to overcome his problems, which had made him question whether he should take part in the Thomas Cup, particularly because of the new scoring system, and play the role of hero.

As usual, he played down his own part in winning the Thomas Cup. "I'm not a hero. I had the support of all the other team members. Every player played their own part in defending the Cup.

"It was not just me. There are other shuttlers; remember this is a team event," he said.

Four years ago in Hong Kong -- when anti-Chinese riots erupted in Jakarta during the Thomas Cup -- Hendrawan also played a major role in helping Indonesia defeat Malaysia in the final.

And in 2000, he opened the country's victory by beating China's Xia Xuanze, opening the way for a 3-0 victory for Indonesia.

A year ago, Hendrawan blamed himself for his failure to earn a point in the Sudirman Cup team championship in Seville, Spain, against eventual champion China. After winning the world championship a week later, he said he would gladly trade his individual title for the team event title.

Despite his reservations with the new scoring system, Hendrawan proved he could win with it, though he would be happy if the International Badminton Federation reverted to the old system of 15-points-best-of-three-games.

"I told myself just to do the best I could with the new system, after having such bad form in previous tournaments. Maybe it was just the Thomas Cup that brought out my best.

"But now I have proven that I have the skill to win using both scoring systems."

Hendrawan -- who is admired both by other world-class shuttlers and journalists for his modesty and friendly character -- urged the public not to make too much of the Thomas Cup victory because there were many more challenges awaiting Indonesia's badminton players.

"I'm very proud of this historical achievement, but we must not forget the other tasks that await us. We still have to fight hard at the 2002 Busan Asian Games and the 2004 Athens Olympics."

Looking ahead to these events, Hendrawan is eager to play a role in helping the Badminton Association of Indonesia prepare the country's younger shuttlers for such major international tournaments.

"Personally, I would prefer including junior players on the Thomas Cup squad. But they have to prove themselves capable of being able to perform well."

He pointed to the Chinese Thomas Cup squad, which included second and third singles Bao Chunlai and Lin Dan, who played against Indonesians Sonny Dwi Kuncoro and Ardiansyah in the 2000 World Junior Championships. And the Malaysian squad included the youngsters Lee Tsuen Seng and Muhammad Hafiz Hashim.

"Those younger players had good results and deserved their places on their teams."

He also criticized some of Indonesia's younger players for being unwilling to put in the work required to succeed.

"I don't have overwhelming talent like Sigit Budiarto and Taufik Hidayat. They don't need the extra practice to win. I have had to work hard to be successful.

"I hope the younger players can follow in my path so they will be prepared to replace the veteran players in the future."

Inspired by 1996 Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark, who won badminton gold at the age of 31, Hendrawan has set a goal for himself of winning the gold medal at Athens in 2004.

"I will do my best to qualify for the Olympics and win the gold. Only after that will I start to think of other things. But now I just want to keep going, keep winning.

"When I retire from badminton, I want to be a coach. I could coach for a club or perhaps in another country. And someday I hope to have my own badminton school, but that will take a lot of money.

"But I'll still play as long as I have the motivation. Even if I retire, I won't just hand over the mantle to the younger players easily, so they realize that success can't be attained without hard work."

Hendrawan, who credits his family with supporting him and his career, is expecting his second child with wife Silvia Anggraini. His first child, a daughter, is named Josephine Sevilla, to commemorate the world championship he won in that Spanish city last year.

The doctor has told the couple that Silvia will deliver a baby boy in June, and they are considering naming him Thomas.

But even with so many people telling him what a magnificent badminton champion he is, Hendrawan just wants to be a normal person.

"I realize that people know me because of my badminton achievements. But I'm ready for the future, when everybody has forgotten me. I don't want to be famous."