RI Thomas Cuppers take on Fins

JAKARTA (JP): The star-studded Indonesian Thomas Cup team will start out as the big-fish when it tackles minnow Finland in the first day of the world men's badminton championships.

The events will be held at Senayan indoor stadium here this evening.

What order the Indonesian stars will play in, though, is not certain. The organizing committee announced yesterday that all the competing teams had agreed that the International Badminton Federation (IBF) rankings will not apply to the competition.

There had been some complaints that the IBF rankings are not an accurate reflection of a players current level, because they extend back for 18 months. With the decision to allow the national teams to rank their own players, a dispute on the issue, not unknown in the past, was averted.

Barring a major upset or sudden injury, it will be smooth sailing for the hosts. However, team manager Lutfi Hamid said yesterday that Indonesia will not take the Finland match for granted.

"We will treat all opponents seriously. We will field our best line-up against Finland," he told a press conference. "We know that the first matches are important to get off to a flying start in our earnest bid to regain badminton's blue ribbon, which we have won eight times before."

If the results of last March's All-England championships are anything to go by, Indonesia will prove too skilled for anything that Cup holder Malaysia, Denmark and China cares throw at Joko Suprianto and company.

In the All-England, Indonesia clinched all four men's singles semi-final slots.

In all probability Indonesia will field all its world beaters, including world number one Joko, the world champion and World Cup winner, reigning All-England champion Hariyanto Arbi and 1991 All-England winner Ardy Wiranata.

All-England champions, the pair of Gunawan and Bambang Supriyanto, and their runners-up Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky are expected to play in the doubles.

Finland, which is making its debut in the Thomas Cup finals, seems to have thrown in the towel before its players have even stepped onto the court."We are up against the giants. Frankly, we can do nothing against the Indonesians," Finnish manager Ron von Hertzen said.

He said if any of his players could just one set off the mighty Indonesians, "it would be already a great achievement for us."

Von Hertzen added, however, Finland might have been able to offer more than token opposition against their hosts if its top player Pontus Jantii were on the squad.

Jantii, who has beaten Indonesia's Olympic champion Alan Budikusuma and England's Steve Buttler, could not make the trip as he has just undergone an operation in his Achilles tendon.

Indonesia, China, Finland and Sweden are in Group A, with defending champion Malaysia, Denmark, South Korea and Thailand in Group B. The Group A winner will meet the Group B runner-up and the Group B winner will play the Group A runner-up in the cross- over semifinals.

Four-time champion China locks horns against Sweden in the other Thomas Cup clash this evening.

Indonesia, once the undisputed king of the "shuttle world", lost the 1992 final in Kuala Lumpur 3-2 to Malaysia which regained the title after a 25 year wait. Earlier in the semi- finals Malaysia had dethroned then-champion China, also with a cliff-hanger, 3-2 victory.

Uber Cup

In the women's Uber Cup, South Korea will be the team to beat. It line-up boasts singles ace Bang Soo-hyun, runner-up at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, along with the world's best doubles pair of veterans Chung So-young and Gil Young-ah.

But Indonesia's badminton queen, the unflappable Susi Susanti who has won every major world title, is expected to come through in her singles matches and could inspire her inexperienced teammates.

China has prevailed over arch enemy South Korea in the last three finals and will be seeking a sixth, consecutive title victory. But the current young Chinese team lacks the skill, experience and mental toughness of the squad which lifted the last five Uber Cups. The only world-class player in the squad is Ye Zhao Ying, who pulled off an upset win over Susi in last year's Indonesia Open.

China and South Korea are in Group A which also contains Japan and underdog Russia. Indonesia makes up Group B, along with Denmark, Thailand and Sweden.

China opens it title-defense campaign against Japan this evening, while South Korea faces Russia. (bas/amd) Russia - Page 10