Shuttlers want Agus in their corner ahead of major event

Shuttlers want Agus in their corner ahead of major event

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian shuttlers have requested Badminton
Association of Indonesia (PBSI) vice chairman Agus
Wirahadikusumah to be more active in preparing athletes for the
upcoming Thomas and Uber Cups championships in Kuala Lumpur in
May and the Olympic Games in Sydney in September.

The shuttlers board chairman, Rexy Mainaky, told reporters on
Wednesday that shuttlers needed a role model like Agus who was
willing to pay attention to, listen to and understand them.

"We don't mean to compare Pak Agus with Pak Subagyo
(Hadisiswoyo, PBSI chairman) but we need him to boost our
motivation prior to the three upcoming important events," he said
after practice at the Indonesian Badminton Center in Cipayung,
East Jakarta.

"So far, we don't have a role model who pays attention to us.
We fail to fully concentrate because we feel none of the existing
officials want to spend time on us. Officials can't blame us for
talking to journalists or people who are not PBSI officials."

Agus, an Army major general, was recently appointed Army
Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief on Feb. 28. Agus, who
is still in Makassar where he is posted as the Wirabuana/Sulawesi
Military Commander, has been absent from his activities as PBSI
vice chairman.

Rexy said PBSI needed to be reformed soon.

"Athletes have always been blamed for losing in tournaments.
Officials always say that we are undisciplined in our daily
activities and training sessions," he said.

"They blame us for wasting people's money. They say the
limited funds were used to send us to tournaments of which the
results really disappointed them."

"None of the shuttlers want to lose in tournaments. But if
they keep telling us that, we lose our motivation and spirit to
fight."

Rexy said athletes were willing to change their attitude if
officials did the same thing.

"Officials must be willing to work hard to create togetherness
among athletes, coaches and officials. They can't ask the
shuttlers board to discipline athletes. If we do so, it means
we're PBSI officials in charge of athletes development."

Rexy urged PBSI to take action on the badminton project
officer Sumaryono who has been inactive during the program since
his appointment last year.

"Pak Sumaryono has never appeared in the center since his
appointment and he never pays any attention to athletes. PBSI
officials must take action either to retain or replace him."

Expectation

Sumaryono acknowledged that his tight schedule prevented him
to come to the center as often as the shuttlers expected.

"I have many business problems which need to be taken care of.
My presence in the center is merely to support the athletes'
morale to do their best. I personally have a target to be more
active as the project officer as soon as the Olympics team is
announced. I promise to spend more time here. I don't really care
about the results. The most important thing is to work hard
first," he said.

So far, Indonesia has been qualifying Taufik Hidayat (world
ranked number four) Marlev Mainaky (five) and Hariyanto Arbi (12)
in the men's singles; Lidya Djaelawidjaja (15) and Cindana (16)
in the women's singles; Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan (two)
Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky (five) and Flandy Limpele and Eng
Hian (nine) in the men's doubles; Elysa Nathanael and Deyana
Lomban (eight) in the women's doubles; and Tri Kusheryanto and
Minarti Timur (three) and Bambang Suprianto and Zelin Resiana
(five) in the mixed doubles.

Sumaryono said many athletes had come to him, asking him to
visit them more often in the center.

"Some of them came to my house asking me to visit them here. I
hope in the remaining three or four months, I can still work
together with athletes, the coaches and PBSI officials to reach
our goals in the Thomas and Uber Cups championships and the
Olympics," said Sumaryono, former PBSI executive director.

Sumaryono said at Wednesday's meeting with the National Sports
Council (KONI) vice chairman, Arie Sudewo, that they reflected on
the inconducive situation in the center.

"Athletes, coaches and officials fail to work together well.
They are not bonded to each other. This factor needs to be
changed right away," he said.

Sumaryono also plans to move the training center to outside
Jakarta for several weeks after the Japan Open next month in
order to change the training atmosphere.

"I want athletes to concentrate more on their goals and to
increase their discipline by moving the training program to
outside Jakarta."

Meanwhile, Arie said the meeting concluded that the Indonesian
shuttlers failure this year in the Korean Open, Chinese Taipei
Open, All England and Swiss Open was because of a lack of
athletes' technical, nontechnical and physical qualities compared
to other countries strong in badminton.

"PBSI needs to consider this failure as a challenge to
overcome and it must consolidate with all parties in the body,
including athletes, coaches, officials and management," he said.
(yan)