RI eyes four golds in Asiad badminton

RI eyes four golds in Asiad badminton

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia vows to regain its domination in the
Asian Games after a 12-year lapse by bringing home four golds at
the Games in Hiroshima this October.

Executive chairman of the Badminton Association of Indonesia
(PBSI) Sumaryono told a hearing at the national sports governing
body (KONI) presided over by Soeweno yesterday that Indonesian
shuttlers have great chances of winning the men's and women's
singles and men's and women's team events at the Games.

"It is our national aspiration we are poised to bring about,"
Sumaryono said. Performance wise, Indonesian shuttlers, holders
of both Thomas and Uber Cups and winners of all major world
badminton titles, look set to prevail in the badminton
competitions during the Oct. 4-12 sporting meet.

"We are eying the four titles, but it's not impossible to take
the other laurels," he said.

Sumaryono indicated that the triumphant Thomas and Uber
Cuppers will likely form the national team for the Games. "No
major change is suggested on the winning teams," he said.

Each of the men's and women's teams will be made up of eight
shuttlers. PBSI will announce its team's lineup on Thursday.

Preparations for the Games cost the national top shuttlers to
miss two tournaments in Denmark and Canada. PBSI has decided to
send junior players to both events.

Indonesia last joined the gold medal winner club in Asiad
badminton competitions in 1982 with men's doubles and mixed
doubles titles.

All players who had been set to join the national badminton
team started their intensive training sessions last Friday.

Also yesterday, the Hiroshima Asian Games Organizing Committee
(HAGOC) asked KONI to submit the list of names of the Indonesian
athletes who will make the trip to the Games by the end of this
month.

A HAGOC envoy, Kazumaru Mikami, said upon his meeting with
KONI executive chairman Soeweno that the sooner KONI lets the
committee know the national athletes' names, the easier HAGOC can
make preparations for accommodation and other services for the
Indonesian contingent, as well as the other national squads.

Mikami told Soeweno that Hiroshima, the first non-capital city
to host the sporting extravaganza, has been ready to welcome more
than 7,000 athletes and officials. More than 8,200 athletes and
officials have been registered for the Asiad, but HAGOC asked for
reduced entrants. (amd)