Indonesian shuttlers ready for Atlanta Olympic Games

JAKARTA (JP): The double success in the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup badminton championships last month has put Indonesia's shuttlers in an upbeat mood about their chances at the Olympics Games in Atlanta next month.

Badminton queen Susi Susanti, the ladies' singles defending champion, told visiting National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar yesterday that her ambition is to win another Olympic gold medal.

"I wish to repeat my success of Barcelona. I just want to forget the Uber Cup success and start to focus on the Olympics," she told Wismoyo.

Susi and her fiance Alan Budikusuma won a gold medal apiece four years ago to give Indonesia its first ever Olympic triumphs.

The Indonesian side has also erased its injury worries as both women's singles competitor Mia Audina and men's singles star Hariyanto Arbi have demonstrated their full recovery and are now ready for the Olympics.

"I think I'm more prepared for the Olympics than the Uber Cup," the 17-year-old Mia said. Mia and world champion Hariyanto are making their debuts in the Summer Games, but each of them has proven they will be among the favorites for the gold medal.

Indonesia will parade 20 players in the five competitions. It could have sent more players, but the International Badminton Federation limited the number of entries to only three in each division.

The Games should be a happy ending tale for doubles specialists Gunawan and Finarsih, who bid farewell to the sport in Atlanta. Both have twice been members of triumphant Thomas Cup and Uber Cup teams, but their necks have never borne the weight of Olympic medals.

"I'll fight for it because it's my last chance to carve out a piece of history in my career," said the 30-year-old Gunawan, who will team up with his regular partner Bambang Surpriyanto.

Chairman of the Badminton Association of Indonesia, Surjadi, said that some simulation matches will be arranged for the Olympic-bound shuttlers.

"Simulation is important for us to know how far we have progressed and to ease our nerves," he said.

Surjadi said that an advance team, which includes Lutfi Hamid and Ananta, left for Atlanta last week to observe the athletes' village and the Georgia State University gym, the venue of Olympics badminton competition.

"Our players will not have any problems with the venue because they took part in the U.S. Badminton Open at the same place," he said. (yan)