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)