RI shuttlers confident of retaining cups

JAKARTA (JP): With all preparations having been completed at full strength, only bad luck will stop Indonesia from retaining the biannual Thomas and Uber Cups, according to the team manager.

Indonesian team manager Agus Wirahadikusumah said upon arrival in Hong Kong Monday that his squad had been in intensive training for the world badminton team championships since January. The competition starts on Friday.

"The preparations alone are worth praising. I won't judge the players' ability on their performance this week. If they lose, they will just have been unlucky," Agus said, as quoted by Kompas.

Agus was optimistic that Indonesia's shuttlers would fare as they did in 1994 and 1996, when they won the trophies, thanks to their mental and physical readiness.

The Indonesian badminton team, which consists of 10 male players, 10 female players, and 17 officials, received a warm welcome from Indonesian Consul General Lili Sobari shortly after arriving at Kaitak International Airport.

Indonesia is grouped with the Netherlands, South Korea and Malaysia in the Thomas Cup, the men's competition. The defending champions are expected to emerge as group winners and set up a semifinal encounter with either top seed China or European powerhouse Denmark.

In the Uber Cup, contested by the ladies, Indonesia will face the Netherlands, South Korea and England. On paper, Indonesia should reach the semifinals.

The Uber Cup team, lead by Susi Susanti, will start their campaign against England on Friday, while their male compatriots play the Netherlands on Saturday.

This year's event, to be held at the Queen Elizabeth Indoor Stadium, coincides with the competition's golden anniversary.

Indonesia has won the Thomas Cup a record 10 times since 1958, and the Uber Cup three times, in 1975, 1994 and 1996.

To boost team spirit during the competition, the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) has provided free tickets for Indonesian supporters.

Five hundred tickets are available for the final matches and 200 tickets for each semifinals, Antara reported.

The association's executive chairman Karsono also called on 30 Indonesian female workers who traveled on the same flight as the badminton team to attend the matches. (emf)