RI shuttlers set for China Open to improve rankings

RI shuttlers set for China Open to improve rankings

JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI)
training director, Christian Hadinata, said over the weekend that
PBSI was sending athletes to compete in the China Open to improve
its shuttlers world rankings to enable them to qualify for the
Grand Prix Finals in Brunei Darussalam next month.

"The China Open will be the last tournament for our shuttlers
to improve their rankings. Hopefully, they won't lose to lower
ranked players in the championships," he said.

PBSI will send men's singles players Budi Santoso and Indra
Wijaya, women's singles player Ellen Angelina, men's doubles
Denny Kantono and Antonius, Sigit Budiarto and Halim Heryanto,
women's doubles Etty Tantri and Cynthia Tuwankotta, Elysa and
Deyana Lomban to the China Open in Beijing which starts on
Wednesday.

Christian said he hoped Budi, ranked seventh in the world,
would reach, at least, the semifinals.

"We expect Budi, who is seeded third in the championships, to
reach the semifinals. He is not allowed to lose to lower ranked
players or his ranking will decrease," he said. "The
championships also serve as a warm up for Budi, whose last
tournament was the Indonesia Open in August."

Indonesia has qualified world number three Taufik Hidayat,
Budi, number eight Marlev Mainaky, number nine Hariyanto Arbi and
number 11 Hendrawan in the Grand Prix Finals.

PBSI's official in charge of athletes development, Mangombar
Ferdinand Siregar, said he decided not to send Hendrawan because
the shuttler just competed in the Asia Cup in Ho Chi Minh City
where Indonesia brought home the crown.

"Hendrawan's physical condition will not allow him to compete
in two tournaments in a row. The Asia Cup is his chance to warm
up for the China Open."

Christian said men's doubles of Antonius and Denny, who are
ranked seventh in the world, must secure their place for the
Grand Prix Finals.

"In the finals doubles events, only eight best pairs in the
world qualify. Although Antonius and Denny are in seventh place,
they're not 100 percent sure to qualify. We are sending them to
the China Open to improve their ranking," he said.

"Sigit and Halim have a different task. They must make
spectacular performances in their tournaments to enable them to
qualify for the Olympics, especially Sigit who will play for the
first time after his suspension."

Sigit was banned from competition for one year after he was
found guilty of consuming nandrolone after winning the Singapore
Open last year.

Siregar said the 1996 Olympic gold medalists Ricky Subagja and
Rexy Mainaky, whose world ranking was only 11, would fail to
perform in the Grand Prix Finals as PBSI was too late to register
them in the China Open.

In the women's doubles, Christian hoped Etty and Cynthia,
ranked ninth in the world, could improve their rankings to enable
them to compete in the Grand Prix Finals.

"We both Etty and Cynthia and also Elysa and Deyana, world
ranked 13, improve their world ranking to qualify not only for
the finals but also for the Olympics. They must reach, at least,
the semifinals in the China Open," he said.

Siregar gave warnings to old hand shuttlers, who had yet to
show world-class performances, if they fail in the China Open and
Hong Kong Open, which starts next week.

Indra, Irwansyah and Jeffer Rosobin -- the latter two
shuttlers will compete in the Hong Kong Open -- will be evaluated
in December and PBSI will likely expel them from the Indonesian
Badminton Center due to their poor performances during their
career. (yan)