Seven more shuttlers leave national camp
Seven more shuttlers leave national camp
JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI)
secretary-general, Leo Chandra Wiranata, announced on Wednesday
that seven more shuttlers had resigned from the Indonesian
Badminton Center.
This follows the resignation of the 1995 world champion,
Hariyanto Arbi.
Men's singles players Irwansyah and Vidre Wibowo and doubles
specialists Hermono Yuwono, Imam Tohari and Rizal Fadillah were
earlier expelled from the center.
Men's doubles competitor Denny Kantono resigned due to age but
will still help the association as a practice partner while Ade
Lukas plans to move to different country. Ade said earlier he was
offered the position of practice partner with the Swedish
national team.
"Some of the athletes returned to their clubs. But they will
still receive what is rightfully theirs, including prize money or
contracts with Yonex. The expulsion is effective from today," Leo
said. Yonex, the Japan-based sports equipment, signs a four-year
contract with PBSI worths US$1.1 million per year.
Hariyanto had said earlier that he resigned due to his
stagnant performance and a prolonged injury.
PBSI has also warned eight players: men's singles competitors
Jeffer Rosobin and Yudi Suprayogi; women's doubles players
Angelina de Pauw, Puspa Dewi and Eny Widowati; and men's doubles
players Santoso Sugiharjo, Andreas and Hadi Saputra.
Some of them were warned due to their stagnant performance in
international tournaments while others were cautioned over
undisciplined behavior. They were given a deadline of December to
improve their achievements and behavior.
"Should there be no changes in December, the eight shuttlers
will be expelled, as stated by the PBSI official in charge of
athletes development, (Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar)," Leo said.
ABC
Separately, the winner of the recent Indonesia and Malaysia
Open, Taufik Hidayat, said that he aimed to win the US$150,000
JVC Asian Badminton Championships at the Senayan Indoor Stadium
from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5.
"It's an important event because if I win I will be crowned
the best in Asia. We all know that Asia is the center of
badminton power in the world," said the 19-year-old shuttler, who
aims to win the gold medal in the Olympic Games in Sydney, from
Sept. 15 to Oct. 1.
Leo said that PBSI and the Asian Badminton Confederation (ABC)
would lobby China to send its best team to compete in the
championships.
China has been absent from the annual Indonesia Open since
1997, due to security reasons. This year it sent its second
stringers, except Sun Jun, to the Indonesia Open last month.
"We'll talk to them at the Olympics to persuade them to come
to Jakarta. But the ABC had early discussions with China and they
promised to support the event," Leo said.
ABC secretary-general Datuk Punch Gunalan expressed gratitude
that Indonesia was picked as the host country after it last
hosted the event in 1996 in Surabaya.
"It's a good indication that Indonesia is a safe place to hold
an event. We hope the championships will attract more spectators
as the prize money has been increased to $150,000 from $126,000."
"Yonex has also agreed to provide equipment and shuttlecocks
to poorer competing countries at the event. ABC will also provide
free accommodation and food for six members of each team during
the event."
Gunalan said top seeds in five categories -- men's and women's
singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles -- would
receive $1,000.
ABC will hold its annual general meeting on Oct. 31. (yan)