My father abused me mentally, physically: Mia

JAKARTA (JP): Badminton star Mia Audina revealed on Saturday that she was abused by her estranged father, who also coached her to fame at the age of 15.

"This is the first time that I have told reporters that I wanted to commit suicide years ago. My father abused me mentally and physically," Mia said at her residence in Taman Anggrek Apartments, where she was accompanied by her husband Tylio Lobman.

Mia, 19, has been locked in controversy with the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) after failing to report for national training for more than two weeks. She returned this month and announced she took the break to marry her Surinamese boyfriend in Amsterdam.

On Saturday, she invited several reporters to her residence to tell her story of her absence, but her relationship with her father, Rivan Tjiptawan, was the more startling revelation.

"He always told me 'You must pay back what I have given you'. That's really mean and depressing. I couldn't stand it."

She declined to go into detail of the kind of abuse she suffered, saying she still respected her father, who is a former boxer.

"When my father heard that I had wanted to commit suicide, he only commented 'when it's time for her to die, then she'll die'. What kind of a father is that?" she said emotionally.

Mia said she considered quitting the sport, but Lobman persuaded her to be strong.

"It was Tylio who told me to use my talent and boost my self- confidence."

The 1996 Olympic silver medalist said her father tried to come between her and Lobman.

"When I met Tylio two years ago, he said Tylio was the right man for me. But now he wants me to leave Tylio and return to him. He wants to coach me again and follow me to every tournament.

"He can't do that. I'm not a child anymore."

Mia also was upset by her father's comments to the media on her problems with PBSI.

"This time he has gone too far. He told reporters that he would be happy if PBSI expelled me. It doesn't make any sense."

At the age of 15, Mia was the heroine when Indonesia won the Uber Cup team event Jakarta in 1994. Two years later she was still Indonesia's best hope to replace Susi Susanti, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist.

Mia said Rivan could have told her and Lobman not to marry if he disproved of their relationship. "But when I told him in December, he suggested that we get engaged first before getting married. Was I wrong to conclude that was approval?"

Lobman, 23, added: "Why did he only ask me to pray and listen to what God said? I prayed, and I heard God tell me to marry Mia.

"I heard that he disagreed with our marriage, but it was too late."

The gospel singer met Mia in 1997. He was working on an album in Jakarta with composer Dodo Zakaria and negotiating with a record company in the United States.

He denied Rivan's accusation that Mia's form suffered because of her relationship with him.

"When I met her, she already had problems with her father. Don't blame me. I tried to persuade her to visit her parents in Bogor, but she is not ready yet. I can't force her." He said he had a good relationship with Mia's mother.

Mia said Rivan never helped his ailing wife with her weekly hemodialysis.

"He never helped his own wife. I've been paying all the bills and I will continue paying for the treatment."

Mia said she did not hate her father, but wished that he would not interfere in her life.

"I have a husband now. I have my own family. If he keeps terrorizing me, how can I improve my performance?"

Mia said she was particularly upset with Hadi Nasri, the official in charge of athlete development, for not notifying PBSI about her wedding plans last month.

She said she informed Hadi after the All England championships in Birmingham, England, in March that she would wed in Amsterdam on March 30 and return to Jakarta on April 15.

"I told Pak Hadi about my wedding plans, and that I was not going to compete in the Japan Open. He, and all my teammates, even congratulated me before they left for Jakarta.

"It hurts me that someone could be very irresponsible and did not tell the truth about me to the public. It's me who's been condemned by people, not him."

On April 1, PBSI sent a disciplinary letter to Mia for missing training without permission.

She resumed training on April 13. (yan)