Olympic champion crashes at PON but W. Java through

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Palembang

Olympic gold medalist Taufik Hidayat suffered a 15-11, 17-15 shock loss to North Sumatra's Wimpie Mahardi in the first-round team match of the National Games (PON)'s badminton competition at the Dempo Badminton Hall here on Wednesday.

His fellow Olympic medalist Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who won a bronze in Athens, cruised to the second round with a 15-2, 15-10 win over Lampung shuttler Hogianto.

Taufik, the world No. 4, who won Indonesia's only gold medal in Athens, could not put up much of a fight to hold off the determined world No. 137, who ruled the game from the start.

Taufik, representing West Java, was down to 3-12 before he managed to reduce the gape to 9-13. But Wimpie regrouped to quickly close the first game 15-11.

The second game was much tougher as Taufik tried to up his play. Both players went head-to-head right to the end, with Wimpie emerging the winner.

Taufik blamed his fitness for the defeat.

"I lost the game because I did not have enough time to rest for this game due a very tight schedule I had after I arrived in Indonesia from Athens," Taufik said after the game.

"I didn't have time to practice at all", he added.

He quickly brushed aside the loss, saying that wins and losses were the nature of the game.

Taufik said he had not forced himself to the limit during the game, for fear of getting injured.

Wimpie, meanwhile, was unenthusiastic about the win, saying that Taufik had not given his best against him.

"Taufik was really tired after he got home from Athens. He could hardly find time to rest, so that's why he was defeated today," Wimpie told The Jakarta Post with a grin.

After his triumph in Athens, Taufik made a series of victory laps in Jakarta and Bandung, West Java. Upon his arrival in Palembang, he took part in a similar ceremony.

Although Taufik was defeated in the first opening match, his teammate bronze medalist Flandy Limpele teamed up with Hendra Gunawan, to crush North Sumatra's pair of Fauzi Ikhsan and Aswiadi F, 15-4, 15-4.

West Java took the other three matches to win the 4-1. The other teams in Group A are Central Java, North Sulawesi and Central Kalimantan.

Representing East Java, Sony beat Hogianto 15-2, 15-10.

"I didn't have much time to practice either since I got back from Athens but I went home to Surabaya and practiced hard for three days before this game and I won the game. I hope the East Java province is able to at least grab a single medal since it has never won a medal in a badminton group event before," Sony told the Post.

Meanwhile, Alvent Yulianto and Tri Kusharjanto overcame Lampung Sarno and Ronaldo 15-3, 15-3, while the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Hendrawan contributed a point with a 15-7, 15-3 win over Sarno as East Java cruised to 4-1 win.

Central Java, which like West Java and East Java features many national players, won 5-0 over North Sulawesi.

Eng Hian and Luluk Hadiyanto won 15-5, 15-6 over North Sulawesi's pair Ronie Runtunalo and Melky. Sigit Budiarto and Rian Sukmawan defeated Jefry and Andrian 15-4, 15-3.

In Group B, 18-year-old Simon Santoso led Jakarta to a win over South Sumatra. The other team in the group is Banten.

In the women's division, Jakarta, spearheaded by Silvi Antarini and Firdasari, ground to a 3-0 win over Yogyakarta.