Marlev to play for Japanese club
Marlev to play for Japanese club
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's world number eight Marlev Mainaky
will play for a Japanese club soon but will still represent his
native country in international competitions.
The Indonesian Badminton Center training director Christian
Hadinata told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that Marlev was asking
for one week off from training to visit the YKK club in Japan.
"Marlev is visiting his future club in Japan and will follow
the footsteps of his brothers, Reony and Karel, in joining the
club. However, Marlev will still play for Indonesia in
international events as did his brothers," Christian said in a
telephone interview.
Christian said he has yet to receive Marlev's resignation
letter from the national squad.
Marlev told the Post earlier of his plan.
"I will move to Japan only to play for a club, not to
represent the country. I'll move there after the Grand Prix
Finals."
He explained that slow achievement is the main reason for his
moving. The 28-year-old shuttler only won one title in the 1993
US Open. Since then his highest achievement was to reach the 1999
Grand Prix Finals final, but bowed out to Dane Peter Gade
Christensen.
The father of one son, he also helped the country to lift up
the Thomas Cup for 12th time in Kuala Lumpur last year.
Marlev will still represent Indonesia in the upcoming All-
England in Birmingham, England, from March 7 to March 11 and the
Grand Prix Finals in Brunei Darussalam from March 28 to April 1.
Christian said the Mainaky brothers, Reony and Karel, and
another Indonesian Davis Efraim, who all play for YKK, have
always requested an official letter from the Badminton
Association of Indonesia (PBSI) to notify Grand Prix series
tournament organizers of their participation.
"They usually ask for the letter to inform the club of their
plan to compete in a certain event representing Indonesia. That's
the procedure in PBSI.
"It's completely different with other players like Fung
Permadi who represents Chinese Taipei. He joined the national
team and plays on behalf of his adopted country.
Marlev's resignation adds to the list of national players
moving to other countries for various reasons.
Fung moved to Taipei as he failed to compete with other top
shuttlers in the 1980s. Former Indonesia's second best women's
shuttler Mia Audina moved to the Netherlands following her
husband. Ardy Wiranata coaches in the United States but at the
same time also represents his new country in tournaments. Indra
Wijaya and George Rimarcdi quit the center to move to Singapore
and Sweden respectively as their achievements were not
progressing. (yan)