Lessons from our defeats in Thomas and Uber Cup

Primastuti Handayani, Jakarta

A question was raised by many people when seeing Indonesia crash in the 2004 Thomas and Uber Cup badminton championships before a home crowd last week: What is going on with badminton development in this country?

The defeat against Denmark in the Thomas Cup semifinals -- the first in Indonesia's badminton history -- was regrettable, considering the national shuttlers could have won the decisive match in the doubles.

As for the Uber Cup team, the women's strong fighting spirit was not enough for them to even reach the semifinals. They have, however, shown their potential.

Doubts about the Thomas Cup team had been there since the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) announced this year's lineup. The PBSI did not have many options for the singles, particularly after the retirement of 2001 world champion Hendrawan and Marlev Mainaky.

Deploying Sony Dwi Kuncoro as the first singles player followed by controversial shuttler Taufik Hidayat and newcomers Simon Santoso and Wimpie Mawardi was the best lineup that Indonesia could have.

However, the choice of lineup for the men's doubles, a competition that Indonesia has dominated since the early 1990s with the emergence of 1996 Olympics champions Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky, was shocking.

Luluk Hadiyanto and Alven Yulianto should have been included in the squad not only because of their highest ranking of world No. 7 but also because of the need to give them experience to fight for the country in high-pressure environment.

The selection of Flandy Limpele and Eng Hian invoked criticism. Many people questioned why the PBSI did not pick Sigit Budiarto to team up with Candra -- they won the 1997 world championships -- and Halim Heryanto to partner Tri -- they saved Indonesia in the 2002 Thomas Cup in Guangzhou, China.

Regardless of Flandy and Eng Hian's ranking of No. 8, they had never been selected for the Thomas Cup, not because of their lack of skills but because of their lack of winning form. This deficit of fighting spirit was obvious when they were under pressure from the Danish duo of Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen in a match the Indonesians finally surrendered in three-games.

A duo created to counter European pairs, with a year's experience competing for England, Flandy and Eng Hian failed to show their quality.

The partnership of Candra and Tri also raised questions as they both have a similar playing style. Observers said they did not match each other technically.

It was a contrast when Candra paired with Sigit. They had performed outstandingly during a simulation game in Batam, Riau, prior to the event and so had Halim and Tri. Many predicted these doubles pairs would be the country's most-powerful weapons in the Thomas Cup.

But team manager Christian Hadinata, predictably, had another opinion, saying the lineup was the best choice in the circumstances.

The country's Uber Cup singles team of Silvi Antarini, Maria Kristin and Adrianti Firdasari still needs more opportunities to excel in international tournaments. PBSI chairman Chairul Tanjung's view they should only be sent to one to three star- rated tournaments was the right decision, although this should have been done two years ago.

Once the singles players manage to show a steady performance, they must be given greater challenges and allowed to compete in higher star-rated events. The same applies for the women's doubles.

Sports psychologists -- they are actually registered as officials at the PBSI -- should have been involved in preparing a team for such a prestigious event as the pressure is much greater on each member compared to a regular Grand Prix series.

A physical trainer is also needed to help coaches hone the shuttlers into peak performers while minimizing the risk of injuries.

Other supporting experts needed in a team include nutritionists, masseurs and therapists.

Unfortunately, this year's Thomas and Uber Cup teams did not have any of these supporting experts.

Indonesia should take a valuable lesson from China. Although China has a lot of winners on its team, each of them seriously watched every match during the competition and even took notes.

Only one Indonesian shuttler was known for such behavior: Susi Susanti. She always took notes on her rivals' performances -- their strengths and weaknesses -- so that she could anticipate them in any encounters in tournaments.

National shuttlers must be taught this habit so they can analyze their rivals on court and decide what steps they are going to take, instead of just asking their coaches.

The PBSI must quickly evaluate this recent defeat and work out a short-term game plan to face the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in August. This time around, Indonesia has little chance of winning any golds, even in the men's doubles that it usually dominates. While there is still a little hope, it is likely only Sigit and Tri may make the semifinals.

The Thomas and Uber Cup defeats have forced all parties in Indonesian badminton -- the athletes, coaches, PBSI officials, National Sports Council (KONI) officials and the public -- to learn something: That hard work, as exemplified by China, will enable us to achieve what we aim for.

Primastuti Handayani (yani@thejakartapost.com) is a staff writer of The Jakarta Post.