Six golds RI's likely Asiad haul: Siregar
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has a good chance of winning between four and six golds at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok next December, sports observer Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar told reporters yesterday.
"The golds will not only come from badminton but also from other sports such as weight lifting, rowing and canoeing," said Siregar, after being installed as the Badminton Association of Indonesia's athletes development chairman.
Indonesia only won three golds, 12 silvers and 11 bronzes at the 1994 Asiad in Hiroshima, Japan.
Siregar said the association must start grooming its shuttlers now for the Thomas and Uber Cups championships in Hong Kong from May 15 to May 24.
"The Uber Cup team will likely consist of the same players as in 1996 with only two or three extra juniors but the Thomas Cup team will consist of many more juniors," he said.
Indonesia's team of Susi Susanti, Mia Audina, Yuliani Sentosa, Finarsih, Lily Tampi, Eliza and Zelin Resiana, won the Uber Cup last year in Hong Kong after beating China in the final.
The country's men's team of Joko Suprianto, Hariyanto Arby, Alan Budikusuma, Gunawan, Bambang Suprianto, Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky won the Thomas Cup against Denmark.
"I'll discuss the players appointments with Christian (Hadinata)," he said.
Christian was installed yesterday as director of the National Training Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta.
Siregar said Indonesian shuttlers only have two Grand Prix series tournaments -- the Chinese Taipei Open and the Japan Open -- as warmups before the Thomas and Uber Cups first and semifinal stages on May 22 in Manila.
South Korea declined to stage the Korea Open due to the country's current monetary crisis.
Siregar urged the new talent-scouting chairman, Icuk Sugiarto, to work harder to find more young shuttlers and to promote local competitions.
Businessman James T. Riady of the Lippo Group, who was installed as the association's funding chairman, said that he would try to persuade more national companies to assist the association financially.
"We understand that the economic situation has got worse recently but I believe many businesspeople are still interested in help the badminton association," he said.
Organization
Former association chairman Ferry Sonneville said that the new officials must improve the state of the organization.
"I believe in the officials' leadership abilities and I believe the chairman can work together with other officials," he said.
"Subagyo (Hadisiswoyo) has made a good start by consulting with the badminton experts," he added.
Subagyo was elected the new chairman of the association at a national congress from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1.
Subagyo said: "The new officials must work hard to meet our goals in bringing home both the Thomas and Uber Cups and winning the Asian Games golds medals next year."
"But the work continues to repeat the clean sweep in the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei Darussalam and win another gold in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia," he said.
Subagyo expected his staff to be honest, fair and modest.
Yesterday he also installed Agus Wirahadikusumah as vice chairman, Leo Ch. Wiranata as secretary-general, Yurmansyah Herman as treasurer and Karsono as executive director. (yan)