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)