Spirit of competition

Spirit of competition

The way our athletes fought for and won the Thomas Cup and
Uber Cup in Hong Kong at the weekend should dispel any doubt or
apprehension caused by the recent suggestion of some local
experts that Indonesians, either by nature or cultural
inclination, are not competitive. Susi Susanti, Joko Suprianto
and their colleagues showed by winning the two coveted
international badminton trophies that Indonesians can, if we want
to and really put our mind to it, be just as competitive as the
next nation.

There were times during the final games when some of our
players lost their nerve and dropped valuable points. However,
they came back with a vengeance to win and retain the trophies
they won two years ago in Jakarta.

The victory has also put to rest the equally contentious
accusation that Indonesians can only win with the advantage of a
home crowd. This time we won convincingly away from home, against
China and Denmark, two formidable and worthy adversaries that
made the finals truly exciting to watch. These victories have
proven that Indonesia can be competitive, be it at home or
abroad.

Most athletes and sports officials attributed the win to
Semangat Juang (Fighting Spirit). Although perhaps an overused
phrase in politics, this term, which means a strong determination
to defend the honor and glory of the nation, is often underrated
in sports. Susi, Joko and their fellow athletes have restored the
nation's pride in sports following the embarrassing defeat
against the host nation at the Southeast Asian Games in Chiang
Mai, Thailand, last year. And, what is more, they have shown us
what it takes for Indonesia to succeed in any international
competition, something which could be applied not only in sports,
but also in politics and economics.

Although fighting spirit and determination were undoubtedly
crucial elements behind the badminton victories, there were other
equally important factors that may have escaped attention. One of
them is the long preparation, including the rigorous training put
in by our team. And we don't mean just the preparations for this
particular Thomas Cup and Uber Cup competition. We are referring
to efforts dating back many years, including the talent scouting
process, that have helped the nation continue to excel in this
particular sport generation after generation.

Another important factor is the team spirit shown by the men's
and women's badminton squads. The nature of the championships
compelled the squads to work as teams. One or two exceptionally
good players are not enough. Susi and Joko by themselves could
not have won the trophies. The others had to play a part as well.
And finally there were the tactics and strategy employed, shown
in the line-up combinations of the Indonesian Thomas Cup and Uber
Cup teams in each round in Hong Kong on the way to the final.

So, as we welcome our Thomas Cup heroes and Uber Cup heroines,
and shower them with well deserved praises and prizes, let us
note the lessons they have taught us about fighting spirit,
determination, thorough preparation, team spirit, strategic and
tactical thinking, and sportsmanship, or the spirit of
competition. These are the elements that made these victories
possible.

While our badminton squads now have their sights set on the
Atlanta Olympics, the rest of the nation has other equally
herculean tasks on the agenda that require many of the qualities
we mentioned above. The rapid globalization process is compelling
us to be more competitive as a nation. In other sports, we have
the Southeast Asian Games which Jakarta will host in 1997. In the
economic field, we have the free trade agenda to implement within
Southeast Asia, then throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and
eventually the rest of the world. If we can duplicate the
qualities which won us the two badminton trophies, there will be
no reason for any of us to worry about lacking a competitive
spirit or the ability to compete.