RI hopes to mine 5 badminton golds in Hiroshima
RI hopes to mine 5 badminton golds in Hiroshima
JAKARTA (JP): Badminton competitions looks to be the
Indonesian team's gold mine at the Hiroshima's Asian Games, with
national top shuttlers favored to scoop five out of seven titles
up for grabs, a sport expert says.
Suhantoro, head of the center for sport science at the
national sport governing body (KONI), told reporters on Saturday
that all but one national shuttlers who joined the centralized
training camp had been tested excellent during their recent
physical examinations.
Suhantoro is KONI's official in charge of all physical
examinations of national athletes.
"The shuttlers need only to maintain their forms to sweep gold
medals," Suhantoro said. The examinations held early this month
included physical endurance, strength and nutrition.
He also said that the Indonesian standards of both physical
fitness and skills are now widely used by badminton players
throughout the world.
Suhantoro declined to disclose the only shuttler who failed to
meet the standards. "Ask PBSI (the Badminton Association of
Indonesia)," he said.
"PBSI might impose a particular training treatment on the
player, which now needs changing," he assumed. He said a
betterment is still open up prior to the Oct. 2-16 Games.
Athletes need between one and a half and two months to regain
their top forms.
Indonesia, one of world badminton powerhouses, has been
suffering from a 12-year gold medal drought in Asian Games
badminton competitions. The national shuttlers last collected two
"non-prestigious" golds in men's doubles and mixed doubles events
in 1982.
PBSI has bid to complete a golden treble in Olympics, Thomas
and Uber Cups and Asian Games by fielding its players who
currently prevail the badminton world in the continent's biggest
sporting meet.
Contrast
Suhantoro, a former national soccer player, told a contrast
story when he talked about Indonesia's chance in Asiad soccer
competition.
"Our booters' physical fitness are two or three levels below
those of world-rated teams," he said. The same tests over the
national soccer team found only two out of 18 booters met the
international standards. The doctor refused to identify the
beyond average players.
The poor condition will turn to fiasco if the national players
fail to enhance their skills, according to Suhantoro.
Suhantoro said the poor physical fitness has been the major
handicap for national soccer development.
"Based on the facts, does our soccer team deserve places in
the national squad for the upcoming Asiad?" he asked the pressmen
rhetorically. KONI is expected to voice its final words about the
fate of national soccer team today.
Indonesia is grouped with favorite South Korea, which will be
represented by its World Cup team, China and Kazakhstan in the
Games soccer competition preliminary round.
Other national athletes who were tested excellent came from
wind surfing, boxing, karate and rowing.
Suhantoro was also curious about national tennis queen Yayuk
Basuki's physical condition since he has yet to receive any
report on the world-class player's fitness.
"She was tested poor before leaving for Barcelona's Olympic
Games," he said. The Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) wants
Yayuk to play in women's and mixed doubles events. (amd)