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)