PBSI to reshuffle national team

PBSI to reshuffle national team

JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI)
plans to reshuffle its national players as it prepares to win
gold medals at the 2000 Olympics Games in Sydney.

PBSI secretary general Leo Chandra Wiranata said on Wednesday
that the badminton body would decide after the first two world
grand prix tournaments of the 1999 season which shuttlers would
get the ax and which would receive calls up.

The badminton grand prix usually starts with the Korean Open
early in January and the Taipei Masters in the middle of the
month.

"Players who fail to perform commendably during the two
outings will have to leave the training center. We will then
bring in new talent from the provinces to take their places," Leo
said.

He said underachieving coaches would also receive their
marching orders.

Leo said PBSI would consult coaches and provincial officials
during the reshuffle. "They are expected to advise us which
shuttlers are still prospects," he said.

The training center currently trains 60 men and women players,
but Leo said that the PBSI wished to train younger players and
keep only those shuttlers with a good chance to qualify for the
Olympics.

Women's singles player Susi Susanti and men's singles player
Alan Budikusuma lifted Indonesia two gold medals when badminton
made its Olympic debut in Barcelona in 1992. Four years later in
Atlanta, Indonesia managed only a gold medal in men's doubles
from Ricky Subagja and his partner Rexy Mainaky.

Qualifying tournaments for the Sydney Games will begin with
the Sudirman Cup mixed team championships in May 1999 and
conclude with the 2000 All England tournament.

On Thursday, men's singles player Indra Wijaya, women's
singles player Mia Audina and a makeshift men's pairing of Ricky
and Antonius Irianto will leave for the Copenhagen Masters
invitational tournament, which will take place from Dec. 26 to
Dec. 29.

Antonius replaced Rexy, who is on Christmas holiday after
winning Asian Games gold with partner Ricky.

PBSI meanwhile has listed 23 players for the season opening
Korean Open from Jan. 7 to Jan. 10. They include Indra, Hong Kong
Open men's singles champion Budi Santoso, former Asian champion
Jeffer Rosobin and junior players Ronny Agustinus and Johan Hadi
Kusuma.

Antonius will team up with his longtime partner Danny Kantono
in the US$200,000 tournament, while Candra Wijaya and Hong Kong
Open winner Tony Gunawan will seek their second title since
joining forces.

Twelve more shuttlers will join them at the $100,000 Taipei
Masters, scheduled to run from Jan. 13 to Jan. 17. (yan)