Susi named Athlete of the Year for the third time
Susi named Athlete of the Year for the third time
JAKARTA (JP): Nobody but world badminton queen Susi Susanti deserved the athlete of the year tag for a third successive year when the Jakarta-based sports journalist association (Siwo Jaya) announced the results of its poll last night.
Susi, who failed to come to the award presentation, won a slight majority of the votes, cast by sports journalists, outscoring world-rated Indonesian tennis player Yayuk Basuki and Omita Olga Ompi, a karate silver medalist in the Asian Games.
Susi led her team in bringing back the Uber Cup after 19 years and won all major titles in 1994. She only failed to take the Asian Games laurel after suffering a bitter loss to Japan's Hizako Mizui in the semifinals.
The Chinese sports journalists association also listed Susi among Asia's 10 best athletes of 1994, an honor that earned her the Kungfu Family Cup last February.
All-England men's doubles champions Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky shared the 1994 best male athlete award for the first time ever. The pair were considered the most stable athletes throughout the year, grabbing seven titles and helping Indonesia bring the Thomas Cup back home.
They outshone other badminton heroes Hariyanto Arbi and Ardy Wiranata and Indonesia's top chess player grand master Utut Adianto, who were the other three nominees for the best male athlete title.
Ricky and Rexy, dubbed the world's most solid partnership, strolled to a clean sweep in the first four major championships this season.
National shuttlers maintained their grip on the election, which has been conducted annually for the past decade, which confers only one award in each of four categories: athletes, coaches, teams and sports prime movers.
Young soccer idol Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto, who is now playing for Switzerland's FC Lucerne, broke the jinx when he was named the athlete with the greatest potential, edging out new badminton sensation Mia Audina and national Federation Cup team rookie Enny Sulistyowati.
The 19-year-old Kurniawan joined the national young booters who underwent a one-year stint in Italy in 1993.
Mia, making her Uber Cup debut, secured for her team the coveted title with a heart-stopping three-set win over China's Zhang Ning in the final rubber.
National badminton coach team of Indra Gunawan, Triaji, Christian Hadinata and Atiek Jauhari won the best coach award, while the national Thomas Cup and Uber Cup squad took the best men's team and women's team awards respectively.
Edie Nalapraya, chief of the Indonesian pencak silat association, prevented the badminton greats from making a clean sweep when he grabbed the best prime mover award. (arf/amd)