PBSI makes changes to badminton lineup
JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) has made changes to its lineup of shuttlers to compete in the Malaysia and Thailand Opens.
The PBSI secretary-general, Leo Chandra Wiranata, said the official in charge of athletes' development, Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar, changed some names on June 17.
PBSI pulled men's singles Johan Hadikusuma and Indra Wijaya from both tournaments and replaced them with Irwansyah and Yudi Suprayogi. Jeffer Rosobin and Rony Agustinus will still play at both events.
In the women's singles, Lidya Djaelawidjaja and Ellen Angelina replaces Meiluawati and Yuli Marfuah in the Malaysia Open to accompany Cindana. In the Thailand Open, only Yuli Marfuah will compete because PBSI has withdrawn Ellen and Lidya.
In the men's and mixed doubles, Agung Wahyu will replace Imam Tohari in the Malaysia Open. Agung will partner Halim Heryanto in the men's doubles and Emma Ermawati in the mixed doubles.
But in the Thailand Open, Imam will compete in the mixed doubles with Vita Marissa, who will also play in the women's doubles with Emma.
On June 22, Siregar sent a second letter to the Malaysia Open organizers requesting that Yuli be accepted as a participant, but the organizers declined, saying it was too late.
The national training director, Christian Hadinata, said Siregar was in charge of deciding which shuttlers compete in tournaments.
"I don't really know about it because coaches discuss the problems directly with Pak Siregar," he said.
Siregar and his deputy, Hadi Nasri, were unavailable for comment.
Leo warned Siregar not to change the players seven days prior to the tournament, otherwise PBSI would have to pay a US$250 fine per athlete.
The Malaysia Open will start on June 30 and last through July 4 while the Thailand Open is on July 7 through July 11.
Leo said PBSI would also send five males and females to compete in the Golden Eagle Asian Junior 1999 in Yangoon from July 11 to July 17. They are Atu Rosalina, Mona Santoso, Chiung Siang, Enny Erlangga and Diah Novita on the females' side and Endra Feryanto, Bobby Santoso, Agung Kuncoro, Hendri Kurniawan Saputra and Wandri Kurniawan Saputra on males' side. (yan)