Indonesian shuttlers dominate Junior Indonesia Open

Indonesian shuttlers dominate Junior Indonesia Open

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian junior shuttlers dominate the seeds
for the Milo Junior Indonesia Open badminton championships to be
held in Surakarta, Central Java, next week.

Junior shuttlers from the Indonesian Badminton Center (PBI)
are the top seeds in the boys' singles, girls' singles and girls'
doubles. While shuttlers from the Kudus-based Djarum club are the
top seeds in the boys' doubles and mixed doubles.

Sony Dwi Kuncoro of PBI -- a finalist in the 2000 Junior Asian
Championships and 2000 Junior World Championships -- is the top
seed at the event, to be held from June 12 to June 16. He will
play Malaysian Suwandi in the first round.

Second seed Irawan Agung of Djarum will face Zulkifli of
Brunei in the opening round, third seed Markis Kido of PBI will
meet Yamaguchi Kimihiro of Japan and Andika Pradana of PBSI's
West Java chapter will face Malaysian Choo Gee Chang.

In the girls' singles, top seed Dewi Tira of PBI received a
bye in the first round while Marissa IP of Jakarta-based Bogasari
Tangkas will meet Japan's Gatoh Ai.

Third seed Siti Mahiroh of Jakarta-based Jaya Raya will meet
Maria Elvira of PBI while fourth seed Fitria Firdaus, also from
PBI, received a bye.

In the boys' doubles, Rian and Titon of Djarum received a bye
in the first round, as did second seed Suherlan and Yoga of
PBSI's West Java chapter.

The third seed Malaysian duo of Gan Teik Chai and Abdul Latif
will meet Hendra and Joko of Jaya Raya. Nagahara Katsuhiro and
Yamaguchi Kimihiro of Japan, seventh seeds here, will meet Mega
and Yusuf of Jaya Raya.

In the girls doubles, PBI's Monica and Lita Nurlita are seeded
first and will go straight through to the second round after
receiving a bye in the opening round.

Second seeds Rintan of Gajah Tunggal and Pipit of Djarum also
were given a bye. Third seeds Lilyana and Natalia of Tangkas will
meet Siti and Dora of Jaya Raya, while Japan's Tatoni Ikue and
Gatoh Ai, seeded fourth, will challenge Frida and Meliana of
Djarum.

The top three seeded teams in the mixed doubles -- Titon and
Frida of Djarum, Japan's Yamaguchi Kimihiro and Tatoni Ikue and
Cepi and Lidyawati of Tasikmalaya-based Pikiran Rakyat -- all
received first-round byes.

Fourteen countries pulled out of the championships because of
security concerns.

"Those countries had registered and promised to send their
best shuttlers, but they canceled due to the security situation,"
organizer Soenyoto said on Wednesday in Surakarta.

"However, we are still offering prize money of US$9,000
despite the withdrawals."

The countries that withdrew are China, Chinese Taipei,
Denmark, England, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Macau, the
Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden and Thailand.

Twenty-one local clubs will compete in the event, which is
being staged for the first time in four years. (44/nvn)