Sigit still listed for Thomas Cup team

Sigit still listed for Thomas Cup team

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's best doubles player Sigit Budiarto
will still prepare for the 1998 Thomas Cup championships in Hong
Kong in May, the Badminton Association of Indonesia's deputy,
Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar, said Wednesday.

He said that although Sigit had to rest due to a stomach
ulcer, the shuttler would still have a chance to partner with
Candra Wijaya in the country's Thomas Cup squad.

"They are the best doubles in the world and world champions.
Of course, we'll focus on them for the Thomas Cup," he said.

Siregar said Sigit's absence in the Swedish Open, All England
championships and the Swiss Open in March was not because the
association had sanctioned the shuttler, who won the 1997 World
Championships title with Candra.

The association decided to field Candra with Tony Gunawan in
the three tournaments. The new partnership won the Copenhagen
Master late last year.

Antara reported that teaming Candra and Tony was part of the
association's strategy to face the Thomas Cup championships.

"Other world men's doubles had studied Sigit and Candra's
playing and we wanted to surprise them by not fielding Sigit this
time," he said.

The Badminton National Center director, Christian Hadinata,
said he would discuss the change with coach Atik Jauhari and both
Sigit and Candra.

"We considered not fielding Sigit in the three tournaments and
we've told him our reasons. We asked him to still prepare himself
in case. But the most important thing, there must be
understanding between Candra and Sigit to help us solve any
problems," Christian said, as quoted by Kompas daily.

Christian said the doubles were ready to win the 2000 Olympics
in Sydney, Australia.

Meanwhile, Sigit said he never guessed he would not be fielded
in the three tournaments.

"The All England became my personal target after I and Candra
failed last year. And I don't have any problems with my partner,"
he said.

Sigit and Candra only reached the All England semifinals.

However, Sigit said he would have difficulty in preparing for
the Thomas Cup championships if he could not compete in previous
tournaments.

"I need a real competitive situation to prepare myself and I
think the time between the Japan Open in early January and the
Thomas Cup championships in May is too far between for me," he
said. (yan)