Rexy to coach English team starting in 2001
Rexy to coach English team starting in 2001
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian men's doubles player Rexy Mainaky
will officially take over as coach of the English badminton team
on Jan. 8, 2001, after resigning from the national team.
"I have been in discussions with the Badminton Association of
England since last year's All England and I also visited the
training camp near London last year. I will bring my family with
me for my two-year tenure," Rexy said.
Traerup-Hansen of Finland, the performance director with the
Badminton Association of England, was quoted as saying by Reuters
on Wednesday: "Following our medal success at Sydney, it is
exciting that such a highly regarded player has been attracted to
English badminton."
England secured its first-ever Olympic badminton medal thanks
to mixed doubles Joanne Goode and Simon Archer, who beat the
Danish pair of Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen in the bronze
medal match.
Rexy grabbed Indonesia's sole gold at the 1996 Olympics with
partner Ricky. They were the world number one men's doubles team
from 1993 to 1997, when they were supplanted by teammates Candra
Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto.
Rexy will make his final appearance for Indonesia before a
home crowd at the JVC Asian Badminton Confederation (ABC)
championships at Senayan Indoor Stadium from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5.
Rexy will team with Tony Gunawan, who just won the Olympic gold
medal, because Ricky Subagja is skipping the championships to wed
national swimmer Elsa Manora Nasution on Oct. 28.
PBSI secretary-general Leo Chandra Wiranata said Rexy had yet
to submit his official resignation letter.
"He will still compete at the ABC championships and the Ipoh
Master two weeks after that with Tony, while Candra will partner
Eng Hian.
"Anyway, we are proud that we are able to produce experts in
badminton," he said.
Leo said Rexy had contributed much to the country and it was
time for him to decide on his future.
"If he gets an offer of, let's say US$2,000 (per month), why
should he turn it down. It's his right."
Meanwhile, Leo said the World Junior Badminton Championship in
Guangzhou, China, would employ the knock-out format to guarantee
all participants would have more opportunities to play against
teams of equal strength.
"The participating 25 countries will be divided into four
groups, which will be further divided into two subgroups. The
opponents will be drawn from the other subgroups in a group," he
said.
"There will be three countries emerging from each group. They
will then meet countries from other groups with the same records.
A second-place team from a certain group, for example, will meet
a second-place team from another group."
In the second round, a country will be eliminated if it is
beaten by its opponent. No countries, however, are expelled in
the first round. A country will have to play about five other
countries to reach the title match.
Leo said the new system would afford more playing
opportunities and experience to all players, as well as ensuring
fairer matches.
"This way, a weak country won't meet badminton giants like
China or Indonesia, which we see in the ordinary system," he
said.
PBSI will send 22 junior shuttlers to the championships, but
is only aiming at reaching the quarterfinals.
The shuttlers have been training at the Indonesian Badminton
Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta, for nearly six months.
(nvn/yan)