Medal inspires Flandy, Eng Hian

Medal inspires Flandy, Eng Hian

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Flandy Limpele and Eng Hian's Olympic bronze medal may have
been a result of their decision to return to Indonesia last year
when they were playing for England.

"We decided to come back to Indonesia because we wanted to
participate in the Olympic Games in Athens. It would have been
difficult to take part in the Olympics if we had been playing for
England," Flandy told The Jakarta Post.

The pair's decision paid dividends, though they ended up with
the bronze after beating their rivals Jens Erikssen and Martin
Lundgaard-Hansen of Denmark in the men's doubles third place
match in the badminton competition.

It was consolation after their defeat by Kim Dong-moon and Ha
Tae-kwon of South Korea in the semifinals to deny Indonesia of
its third straight doubles gold medal.

Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky (now a coach in England)
triumphed in Atlanta in 1996 before Candra Wijaya and Tony
Gunawan followed in Sydney in 2000.

"We are just happy that we can bring home a medal even if it
is bronze. That's better than nothing.

"Although PBSI (Indonesia's governing body of badminton) did
not set any target for us, we went to Athens with high hopes to
win the gold," Eng Hian said.

"The fact that we failed to win the gold disappointed us. But
we were relieved at last that we won in the battle for the
bronze. A defeat would have meant a double loss for us," 27-year-
old Eng Hian said.

The medal might come at a good time because the pair, who
first began playing together in 1998, had been suffering a win
drought.

They came to Athens with only one title in the last year, the
Yonex German Open, which they won in Sept. 2003 at the expense
Chinese pair Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng.

Athens was probably Flandy's first and last Olympics as he is
now 30-years-old and the oldest member of the Indonesian
badminton squad.

Realizing their slim chance to make the team for the next
Olympics (2008 Beijing), Eng Hian said he wanted to win other
tournaments in the next couple of years.

"We may return to Europe. Hopefully, the Olympic bronze will
inspire me to play better," Eng Hian said.

Flandy was admitted to the national training center in
Cipayung, East Jakarta in 1993. Eng Hian joined two years later.

They moved to England in 2001 because they were unable to
compete with other doubles teams at the national training center
and earn a berth on the national team.

In England, their achievements proved to be far better
compared to when they were still working out here at the national
training center. They managed to win the 2002 Singapore Open, the
Swiss Open and the Japan Open in 2003.

After two years in England, they decided to return home after
the newly installed PBSI chairman Chairul Tanjung urged them to
come back. They participated in the 2004 Thomas Cup in Jakarta
last May but the team was unable to retain the trophy.

Flandy explained the differences in the systems between
Indonesia and England.

"I think the reward system is relatively similar in England as
it is Indonesia.

"But in England, we have more freedom to decide what
tournament to play because we were playing as individual
shuttlers, more like professional players, while the national
training center with its authority, interferes with our agenda.

"Playing for England, there was no burden on us, unlike when
we play for Indonesia. We know that badminton is not as popular
in England, and we understand that people in Indonesia will
expect more from us.

"That's the challenge. It is left to us how we handle the
issue. They may criticize us for our failure to follow the steps
of our predecessors. But I take it," he said.

Flandy said they never regretted their decision to return to
Indonesia, "because we had taken into consideration all the
possibilities carefully before we decided to head back to
Indonesia last year."