RI to face tough challenge from Malaysia in Asia
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will face tough competition from Malaysia and South Korea at the A King Asia Cup badminton championship this week.
The three countries are the favorites to win the championship at the Senayan Tennis Indoor Stadium from Feb. 19 to Feb. 23.
Their chances have improved since China withdrew from the championship because of internal problems between the Badminton Association of China and its players.
Promoter IMG said 1996 Malaysian Open finalist Indra Wijaya of Indonesia, ranked number four in the world, was the top seed in the men's singles of the US$150,000 championship.
He will be challenged by world number six Park Sung-woo of South Korea, world number eight Ong Ewe Hock of Malaysia and Fung Permadi of China Taipei, who is ranked number nine.
Budi Santoso, the 1996 Indonesia Open finalist, and Jeffer Rosobin, the 1996 World Cup championship finalist, will also play in the men's singles.
The inaugural championships features only two singles and one doubles event for male shuttlers.
Sigit Budiarto/Chandra Wijaya of Indonesia, who are world number one, are the top seed in the men's doubles. They will meet the new partnership of Pramote Teerawiwatana/Kittiporn Kittikul of Thailand Feb. 20.
Malaysia is not sending its top shuttler, Rashid Sidek, because of his poor performances in the Japan and Korean Open championships last month.
Malaysia's top mens' double pair Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock, the 1996 Olympic silver medalists, will also miss the championship because Yap is injured. Lee Wan Wah and Lee Chee Leong will replace them.
The organizers' deputy for competition Minarni Sudaryanto said Friday Indonesia should have entered more players in the championships.
"There should be substitute shuttlers for the doubles so they don't suffer from fatigue," she told Antara.
"The association (The Badminton Association of Indonesia) must reconsider the player list. Some countries have even sent six shuttlers to the championships," she said.
Indonesia could send as many shuttlers as possible because the quota will be decided at the technical meeting a day before the event.
Chinese Taipei will send five shuttlers, Japan five, Thailand five, Malaysia six, South Korea four and Hong Kong seven.
India, which will replace China, has yet to send its total number of players.
The organizers' chairman Karsono said a rainmaster was ready to stop if raining during the championships to avoid the venue's roof leaking.
The stadium management initially rejected the organizers' request to use the stadium for badminton because it feared badminton movements, which are different from tennis, would break the tennis rebound ace surface.
Minarni said the management agreed to let them use the stadium after the organizers used carpet to cover the surface. (yan)