RI told to turn underdog status to advantage at Sudirman Cup
RI told to turn underdog status to advantage at Sudirman Cup
JAKARTA (JP): Being an underdog must be turned to the
advantage of the Indonesian squad in the upcoming Sudirman Cup
mixed team event in Seville Spain, says a badminton official.
Chairman of the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) West
Java chapter, Lutfi Hamid, told reporters on Wednesday that
Indonesia must be able to take advantage of its position as an
underdog in the biennial event to be staged at San Pablo Stadium
from May 28 to June 3.
"All eyes will be on defending champion China and the 1999
runner-up Denmark. Indonesia must prepare its best strategy in
the event to achieve our goal of winning the trophy back.
"Our strength in the Sudirman Cup is very different from that
in the Thomas Cup, which is a men's team event. In the Thomas Cup
we have a 60 percent chance of winning. I had predicted that we
would bring home the trophy at last year's championship.
"But in the Sudirman Cup, we only have a 45 percent chance of
winning because we are weak in the women's game. It is the PBSI's
task to turn that 45 percent chance into a 51 percent chance, and
to win the cup.
The Sudirman Cup -- named after the late Sudirman, Indonesia's
former PBSI chairman and deputy chairman of the International
Badminton Federation -- features men's singles, women's singles,
men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.
Lutfi -- who successfully lead Indonesia to victory in both
the Thomas and Uber Cups on two separate occasions, namely in
1994 and 1996 -- said Indonesia must be able to optimize its
strength in the team's line-up.
"Team line-up is very important in a team event. Based on our
experience, we have always failed to win the cup due to the wrong
strategy."
Indonesia only managed to win the Sudirman Cup when it was
played for the first time in 1989 in Indonesia. Two years later
South Korea took the cup which it held for two years before China
managed to bring home the cup, keeping it until now.
Lutfi urged the PBSI to create conducive conditions at the
Indonesian Badminton Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta.
"The officials, especially team manager Karsono, must have a
good relationship with the players. If necessary, he must stay in
the dormitory for several days a week. It's important to make the
players feel that the officials are with them.
"When I was still with the PBSI, I spent two days a week there
prior to a major event to know what they (the players) wanted.
Officials must also take the shuttlers out to lunch or dinner so
as to develop casual communications and make the athletes feel
they are being treated as members of the family.
PBSI has been in the spotlight lately, especially given the
worsening relationship between chairman Subagyo Hadisiswoyo and
world number three men's singles shuttler Taufik Hidayat.
Some senior players have also complained about Subagyo's
reluctance to discuss matters and mingle with them.
There have been no special preparations made at the center
although the clock is ticking away to the event.
Indonesia's Sudirman Cup team comprises Hendrawan, Taufik,
Budi Santoso and Rony Agustinus in the men's singles; Lidya
Djaelawidjaja and Yuli Marfuah in the women's singles; Candra
Wijaya, Sigit Budiarto, Flandy Limpele, Eng Hian, Tony Gunawan
and Halim Heryanto in the men's doubles; Deyana Lomban, Indarti
Issoliana, Etty Tantri and Vita Marissa in the women's doubles;
and Bambang Suprianto, Minarti Timur, Tri Kusheryanto and Nova
Widhianto in the mixed doubles. Indarti and Vita are also to play
in the mixed doubles. (yan)