Ivana has big plans for miniature badminton
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Badmini pioneer Ivana Lie is determined to bring her scaled down form of badminton to a wider public audience, with the declared grander aim to improve the country's sagging fortunes in the sport.
"We want to look into badminton's viability from a scientific approach. We are showing that we are serious in the scheme," the 1980s singles player said on Tuesday before the opening of a one- day seminar on badmini in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
The seminar, which was attended by representatives of a number of badminton clubs, came almost a year after Ivana launched the game.
It is adapted for juniors to play, including with smaller rackets on a court with reduced dimensions, such as a lower height of the net.
The seminar presented keynote speakers Syarifudin, head of research institution at Jakarta State University, psychologist Jo Rumeser and Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) secretary- general M.F. Siregar
Badmini made its formal debut at a seminar in Yogyakarta early this year, followed by events in Jambi and Batam.
"Clubs have given various responses. But the majority of them have been positive," Ivana said.
However, some have expressed fears that junior players would find it difficult to make the transition to playing with a regular racket in a conventional game.
"We see kids seven years old who find no problem in playing with an adult racket. Why should they play badmini? We may need to reevaluate the significance of badmini," said Icuk Sugiarto, the 1983 men's singles world champion who is an expert official with the office of the state minister for sports and youth affairs.
However, Syarifudin said national sports education often forced children to exceed their capabilities.
"Given its size, badmini accommodates kids in practicing the basic skills of badminton. It can help transform the motoric movement of the kids," he said.
Jo Rumeser emphasized the need to provide a sense of excitement, competence and accomplishment for young athletes.
"To meet their needs, we should make the game work for them. That means modifying the equipment if necessary," he said.
A Jakarta exhibition of badmini on Tuesday will be followed by ones in Bandung, Surabaya and Semarang in the coming weeks.
A round of tournaments in the above cities is planned for early June, with the grand final expected in August in Jakarta.
PBSI is supportive of badmini, but Siregar reminded its organizers about the need to evaluate and adjust as needed.
"In sports, it is impossible to hope for an achievement without heeding the grassroots as the basis of its development. After a thorough discussion, PBSI has decided to encourage Ivana Lee to continue disseminating information about badmini," Siregar said.
"Hopefully, badmini will lead the way for recapturing our fame in the sport."