Indonesia Open to keep top rating
Indonesia Open to keep top rating
JAKARTA (JP): The high number of absentees in the Indonesia
Open badminton championships in Yogyakarta this week does not
have anything to do with the quality of the tournament, a top
International Badminton Federation (IBF) official said.
IBF Vice President Ian Palmer said in a press meeting in
Yogyakarta yesterday that despite the big names who would be
missing the event, the US$166,000 championship still deserved the
top rating.
"The participation of Indonesian top shuttlers undoubtedly
guarantees that the tournament remains a prestigious one," Palmer
was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.
Palmer was accompanied by RAJ Gosal, secretary general of the
Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), during the conference.
Malaysian top flights who reached the Thomas Cup men's team
championships final last May will not turn up for the Aug. 10-14
badminton grand prix meet, as they will don their national colors
in the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada starting Aug. 17.
China will also miss women's singles defending champion Ye
Zhaoying and Asia Cup men's singles winner Dong Jiong. Other big
guns to skip the annual event are Denmark's Poul-Erik Hoyer-
Larsen, with compatriot Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen set to follow in
his footsteps.
Stuer-Lauridsen broke his leg in his final match against
Hariyanto Arbi at the World Cup in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday.
"IBF will not impose any sanctions on those who failed to make
a trip here," Palmer said, adding that IBF had accepted the
reasons for the absences.
The five-star tournament held at the newly completed Amongraga
indoor stadium will serve as the final testing ground for
Indonesian shuttlers who are preparing themselves for the Asian
Games in October.
With most of the major challengers missing the event,
Indonesia's shuttlers are likely to produce a clean sweep. World
champions Joko Suprianto and Susi Susanti top the seeding lists
in the men's singles and women's singles respectively. (amd)