Lax discipline in badminton training

Adequate preparation will be reflected in the competition. This is true for every sport, including badminton. The poor result at the just-concluded 2004 Thomas and Uber Cup championships was the result of the national squad's poor preparation.

This year, problems had surrounded the team prior to the biennial event, starting when coaches boycotted a team simulation in Batam, Riau, and ending with a brawl involving second singles player Taufik Hidayat on the day he was supposed to concentrate in an encounter against China.

In previous tournaments, the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) had always involved experts, former badminton players and the media in series of discussions before the event kicked off, at least three months in advance. However, this year, the PBSI only had two simulations in Batam and Bandung, West Java.

Along with the cup events, shuttlers also had to concentrate on preparations for qualification in the 2004 Athens Olympics in August. Some struggled to improve their world rankings to enable them to compete in the quadrennial event.

Involving experts including badminton observers, former players, physical trainers, sports psychologists, nutritionists and the media could have helped the national squad in overcoming their existing problems.

Former players could help boost the athletes' motivation as well as help analyze other countries' strengths and weaknesses. They could also have shared tips about how to cope with the huge pressure on court.

A regular discussion with the media, as in previous years, could have helped the PBSI gain support from the public and been a morale booster for the shuttlers.

After the defeat, people questioned the function of the National Badminton Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta. The center is supposed to host elite players who are groomed to be ready at any time to defend the country in international tournaments.

However, as time goes by, the center is no longer a center of excellence as more and more shuttlers bow down to their opponents.

It is high time the PBSI is restructured. The association should return the shuttlers to their respective clubs -- the players should only gather for training at the center three times a week and spend the rest of their time in their clubs.

The PBSI must encourage regular interclub and inter-regional tournaments to increase the competitiveness among clubs and players. Once they have returned to clubs, our top players must win as many tournaments as they can to bring home prize money.

Whenever Indonesia is competing in an international competition, athletes from different clubs should be able to join the competition without any need to request permission from the PBSI. The organization should only serve as an administrator for athletes.

The male and female dormitories at the center no longer provide a conducive environment for training. Many top shuttlers have parked their luxury cars outside their bedrooms, prompting their juniors to follow suit. With cars easily at hand, they can leave the center and spend all night hanging out with their friends. This kind of lifestyle will affect their physical fitness, discipline and -- in the end -- their achievements.

Athletes should also continue going to school and education should remain a priority. Many of our shuttlers have not gone to college or universities and some of them are high school dropouts.

This lack of education was obvious on court. Our shuttlers did not have enough confidence against their opponents, particularly when they were under pressure. Our shuttlers tended to look to their coaches for instructions. They were not independently intelligent.

However, all the efforts in the world will mean nothing if the PBSI doesn't have the will to improve badminton in the country.

Shuttlers have complained that PBSI chairman Chairul Tanjung rarely comes to the center to speak to the athletes. He often delegates his work to his subordinates and makes the athletes feel he is out of reach.

As suggested earlier, Chairul should spend more time with the athletes and treat them like his own children -- not his employees.

As long as PBSI officials continue to represent the interests of different clubs and regions, the athletes will remain a commodity.

If we don't widen our focus, our achievement in badminton -- the only sport that has made Indonesians proud -- will remain mediocre.

-- Primastuti Handayani