PBSI to set up fact-finding team on 'match fixing'

JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) will set up a fact-finding team to investigate allegations of match fixing during the US$150,000 Sanyo Indonesia Open at the Senayan Tennis Indoor Stadium in July.

PBSI secretary general Leo Chandra Wiranata told reporters Wednesday that the investigators would interview players, coaches, umpires, referees and association officials.

"The letter from the International Badminton Federation (IBF) dated Aug. 4 gave us two days to get all facts about the allegation. It's really difficult for me to fulfill their demand. I told them that I could only reply to them within one or two weeks," he said.

IBF sent a letter to PBSI in reference to a letter of complaint made by England head coach Lars Sologub, who allegedly suspected match fixing in the women's doubles match between Indarti Issoliana and Vita Marissa and Olympic qualifiers Etty Tantri and Cynthia Tuwankotta.

He also alleged match fixing in the mixed doubles between Indarti and Halim Heryanto and Olympic qualifiers Tri Kusheryanto and Minarti Timur.

The letter said that the non-Olympic qualifiers intentionally lost to the qualifiers to improve the latter's world rankings prior to the deadline of the IBF latest rank on Aug. 31. The latest rankings will become a reference for the Olympic drawing.

PBSI official in charge of athletes development Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar said Tuesday that Indarti did not intentionally lose.

"She injured her ankle before competing. Therefore she failed to perform at her best. She failed to compete in the Malaysian Open next week because of the injury," he said.

In an unrelated matter, Leo said the Badminton Association of England's performance director Finn Traerup-Hansen had requested PBSI to send two men's doubles players as practice partners for the Britons.

Denny Kantono and Andreas Setiawan will train with the English team at the Gold Coast from Sept. 3 to Sept. 11. Each of them will receive 50 pounds sterling (US$76.5) allowance per day.

Separately, PBSI executive director Karsono said the organization would try its best to solve the dispute with its West Java chapter on the ban of Olympics qualifiers at the 15th National Games in Surabaya in June.

"PBSI chairman Subagyo Hadisiswoyo had requested a meeting on Aug. 15. The meeting will be attended by Subagyo, official in charge of athletes development Pak Siregar, official in charge of organizational affairs Pak Koesdarto Pramono, Pak Leo and West Java chapter chairman Pak Lutfi Hamid."

"The chapter sued PBSI to pay a compensation fee for Rp 132 million (US$15,530). I just hope the chapter and the association will be able to solve the problem peacefully."

Speaking on the chapter's threat to bring the problem to the court, Karsono said the chapter had decided against that avenue and would try to solve the problem internally. (yan)