Indonesia to focus on team at table tennis c'ships

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will focus its attention on the team events rather than individual events at the World Table Tennis Championships in Osaka, Japan, next week.

"We have a slight chance in the individual events. Therefore, we decided to concentrate more on the team events," said team manager Faisal Rachman as quoted by Antara on Wednesday.

In the men's team event, to take place from April 23 to April 25, Indonesia has been placed in second division Group L with the United States and Nigeria.

The women's team will be in first division Group D with Rumania and Belarus.

"It will be very tough and I really hope that the men's team will manage to stay in the second division. As for the women's players, they have a better chance to remain in the first division," Faisal said.

The team events will be limited to three singles matches, though Indonesia has yet to decide which players it will field in the match.

However, it has prepared its lineup for the doubles events, which will begin after the team events and run until May 6.

In the men's doubles, Ismu Haryanto will partner David Jacobs and Donald Jackson will team up with Reno Handoyo. In the women's doubles, Fauziah Yulianto will play with Putri Hasibuan while Rossi Pertiwi Dipoyanti will partner Christine Ferliana.

In the mixed doubles, Ismu will partner Rossi and David will play with Putri.

The players qualified for the tournament at the national selection at the Bung Karno Table tennis hall in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on April 14 and April 15.

Faisal said the doubles partnerships were set based on the teamwork among the players on the national squad.

"Ismu and David are partners in the Ragunan Sports School and they play together quite often. While Reno and Jackson come from the same club and we hope they have a great understanding on the court." (yan)