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)