Sat, 14 Oct 2000

I need to be alone to reflect on myself: Boy wonder Taufik

JAKARTA (JP): The Olympic Games were closed nearly two weeks ago but Indonesian boy wonder Taufik Hidayat was still unable to forget the moment he had to swallow a bitter pill in his first Olympics debut.

Top seed and world number one Taufik, 19, had to bow out to eventual gold medalist Ji Xinpeng of China in the men's singles badminton quarterfinals on Sept. 20.

"Sometimes I still grab the picture and I ask myself how I could lose at that moment? How could I even fail to reach the semifinals with my position as the top seed?" Taufik said after a training session at the Indonesian Badminton Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta, on Friday.

"I want to wipe the memory away but it's difficult because when I meet people, they keep asking why I lost in the Olympics? It means I have to keep remembering that."

"I need time to be alone, to reflect on myself. I felt that the press was unfair to me because they mixed up my personal affairs with my defeat."

Taufik complained in some local newspaper reports that his defeat was due to his relationship with a member of the trio AB Three vocal group, Nola. He also said that some reporters were after Nola to interview her about his defeat.

"If only I was in Hendrawan's shoes and he was in mine, would the press also put him on the edge. Why is it me they're after?"

Hendrawan, has currently taken over the world number one spot from his junior, but also bowed out to Ji in the Olympics final.

The local press have been complaining about Taufik's arrogant behavior and that he often declines to be interviewed.

But the current world number two said he knows that he has to change either in a technical, physical or mental sense.

"I realized that I have to improve my technical, physical and mental condition for the future. I have to change a lot. I have spoken to the closest people to me and they have encouraged me to move on."

Despite his willingness to improve his physical and mental condition, Taufik declined to include experts in the training program.

"I feel that the training programs, technical or physical programs, with my coach (Mulyo Handoyo) fit me. I don't think I need a psychologist to help me through this condition (after the defeat)."

Taufik will skip three European Grand Prix series including the German Open (Oct. 11 to Oct. 15), Dutch Open (Oct. 18 to Oct. 22) and the Danish Open (Oct. 25 to Oct. 29).

Instead, he will compete at the JVC Asian Badminton Championships (ABC) at the Senayan Tennis Indoor from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5. While Hendrawan opts to compete at the six-star Danish Open and will miss the ABC.

In the men's doubles, Indonesian gold medalists Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan will have different partners for the ABC.

Tony will partner up with Rexy Mainaky, who will make his farewell appearance at the ABC, while Candra will partner up with Antonius Budi Ariantho. (yan)