No smokers at

No smokers at
Thomas, Uber
cups finals

JAKARTA (JP): More comfort is offered to players and
spectators at the Thomas and Uber Cup world badminton team
championships as the venue will be a no smoking area.

"We will ban smokers in the air-conditioned stadium since no
air cleaners have been installed there," chairman of the
organizing committee Titus Kurniadi said on Wednesday.

Complaints have long been made by players as well as non
smoking spectators, troubled by ceaselessly smoke-filled stadium.
Until now no rules prevented people from smoking while watching a
match.

Titus guaranteed that those who go outside for a smoke will
not find someone else in their seats. "We sell no more tickets
than the stadiums capacity," he said.

A total of 7,000 tickets are available every day during the
May 10-21 competitions staged at the 10,000-seat arena. Two
private banks Lippo and BII will provide tickets according to an
agreement with the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI)
signed over the weekend. The ticket price starts from Rp 2,500
(US$1.17).

The management of Senayan sports complex has installed 30 air
conditioners at the 32-year-old stadium as part of renovations.
The stadium also staged the 1975 Uber Cup finals, 1979 Thomas Cup
finals and the 1986 Thomas Cup and Uber Cup finals.

Some badminton masters, including former world champion Icuk
Sugiarto and doubles specialist Christian Hadinata, have warned
that the new facilities will be detrimental to the players due to
the wind generated by full-capacity blowers which causes the
shuttlecock to drift.

The Indonesian shuttlers are scheduled to try the air-
conditioned stadium on Monday. (amd)