More Olympic gold medals expected from badminton
More Olympic gold medals expected from badminton
JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the National Sports Council, Wismoyo Arismunandar, urged yesterday Indonesian badminton players to retain the two gold medals they won four years ago when they return to the Olympic Games next July.
"If possible, win more gold medals from badminton," Wismoyo said during a meeting with officials of the Badminton Association of Indonesia yesterday.
Wismoyo said that the association needed to draw up a better strategy in its bid to retain the country's first ever Olympic golds won by Susi Susanti and Alan Budikusuma in the women's and men's singles respectively.
Olympic badminton will offer five golds for men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles. Only two singles golds were at stake when badminton made its debut at the Games in Barcelona four years ago.
Iwan Setiawan, the association's training director, said that Indonesia is grooming 11 men and nine women shuttlers for the Olympics.
Hariyanto Arbi, Joko Suprianto, Alan and Ardy Wiranata, who dominate the world men's singles rankings, are among Indonesia's Olympic hopefuls. In the women's singles, Indonesia looks set to bank on defending champion Susi and teenagers Mia Audina and Lydia Djaelawidjaja.
"The shuttlers will make their final preparations for the Olympics in the All England championships," Iwan said.
Iwan said the Indonesian Olympic badminton team will be announced after the All England. The oldest and most prestigious badminton tournament, scheduled for March 13 to March 17 in Birmingham, serves as the last qualifying round for the Olympics.
Only the top 16 in their respective divisions according to the world rankings by the International Badminton Federation at the end of this March will qualify for the Olympics. The world rankings will also determine the seeding.
The IBF has given Indonesia the privilege of sending three players in each of men's and women's singles, one more than the quota of other countries.
Olympic badminton matches will run from July 24 to Aug. 1 at the Georgia State University's indoor stadium.
Iwan said that Indonesian players would also face a daunting fitness test before the Olympics when they defend their Thomas Cup and Uber Cup trophies in Hong Kong in May.
"The world team championships will also serve as a warm-up for our players heading for the Olympics," Iwan said.
An official of the council, Aribinuko Tjiptoadhidjojo, said that he was worried about the fast progress by Asian and European rivals.
"China, South Korea, Sweden and Denmark shuttlers have quickly improved lately. If we don't watch them they will pose a big threat to us," he said. (05)