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)