Mia Audina now a Dutch citizen, coach says

Mia Audina now a Dutch citizen, coach says

KUALA LUMPUR (JP): Indonesian-born women's singles player Mia
Audina became a Dutch citizen in early April, the Netherlands'
head badminton coach said on Tuesday.

"As soon as she arrived, we requested citizenship for her,"
Martijn van Dooremalen said during his team's practice session
for the Thomas and Uber cups at the Putra Indoor Stadium here.
"Mia gained her citizenship early April. She has been practicing
for the Netherlands for about a year."

The current world number seven first played for Indonesia in
the Uber Cup at the age of 14 in a career which also included a
silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics. She left for the
Netherlands last year with her husband, a naturalized Dutch
citizen originally from Suriname.

Van Dooremalen said he was pleased with Mia's rebound in form
this year in international play after a slump last year when her
mother died and she clashed with her father.

"She won the China Taipei Open and performed well enough in
the All England by reaching the semifinals. She also played well
in the Japan Open and Korea Open."

Van Dooremalen said he was awaiting the response from the
Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), the International
Badminton Federation (IBF) and the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) on Mia's citizenship status for the Olympic Games
in Sydney in September.

The Badminton Association of the Netherlands made a formal
request to the three organizations in March for Mia to represent
the country in the Olympics.

PBSI chairman Subagyo Hadisiswoyo said last week the
organization would leave the decision up to the IOC.

IBF rules stipulate a player must be a resident of a new
country for more than two years.

"Mia's last competition for the country (Indonesia) was in the
13th Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998," Van Dooremalen said.

"We leave the problem now to our National Olympic Committee.
When they get the answer, they'll tell us. I don't think there is
any problem with the IBF. Hopefully, there is no problem with
Indonesia."

He said Indonesians should not be upset if Mia represented the
Netherlands.

"Were I an Indonesian, I'd be very proud if Mia played in the
Olympics because she's still an Indonesian despite her Dutch
citizenship."

He added he felt fortunate to have a player of Mia's standard
on the Dutch squad.

"Looking at the strength of Indonesia's squad at the moment,
I'm proud that we got Mia as our player. People still remember
her as an Indonesian.

"I hope our shuttlers can watch her practicing and learn
something from her." (yan)