Shuttlers urged to improve fitness

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian badminton players need to improve their physical fitness if they want to maintain their long-held supremacy, former shuttling great Rudy Hartono said yesterday.

Rudy, an eight-time All England winner, said players are prone to losing self-confidence -- and consequently their matches-- when they are not 100 percent fit.

"Top shuttlers like Mia Audina and Hariyanto Arbi often fail to win tournaments because they lack physical fitness," Rudy said.

Mia, women's Olympic singles silver medalist, and former world men's singles champion Hariyanto are now both 10th in their respective world rankings.

Rudy said that ideally the Badminton Association of Indonesia should hire a physical trainer for each player.

"But I understand that the association can't afford to employ that many specialists due to the prolonged economic crisis. If only they had enough money, the problem still remains because we lack quality physical trainers," he said.

The association has recruited physical trainer Paulus Passurney, a key person behind Indonesia's success in the Thomas Cup men's team championship last May. Indonesia finished second in the women's competition, the Uber Cup.

Paulus will stay with the association until the 13th Asian Games in December. His fate is uncertain after that.

Rudy warned that the absence of physical trainers could dash Indonesia's hopes of winning badminton gold medals in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

"I refer especially to Mia. If she fails to overcome her fitness problems, her career will end," said Rudy.

Mia is expected to fill the shoes of Susi Susanti, the greatest women's shuttler Indonesia has ever produced, who is retiring after the Asiad. (yan)