Sutiyoso tells players to beware injury
Sutiyoso tells players to beware injury
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The country's chance of winning the Sudirman Cup mixed team
championship for the first time in 15 years will depend on its
top players staying free of injury, Badminton Association of
Indonesia (PBSI) chief Sutiyoso says.
Speaking after a simulation match in Bandung on Saturday,
Sutiyoso said the team lacked substitutes to replace its main
players in crucial events.
"We still have a chance to win the Sudirman Cup. But if one
of the main shuttlers in the men's singles, men's doubles or
mixed doubles is injured, it means that we will probably lose our
chance," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
Sudirman asked coaches to be careful in their training of
players to avoid injury.
The Sudirman Cup's best-of-five-match format features men's
singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's doubles and
mixed doubles.
For the ninth Sudirman Cup, to be held in Beijing on May 10-
15, Indonesia is grouped with heavy favorite China, Sweden and
Hong Kong, while defending champion South Korea will play
Denmark, Thailand and England in preliminary matches.
The winner and runner-up in each group will qualify for the
semifinals.
In Saturday's simulation match, Athens Olympic gold medalist
Taufik Hidayat easily defeated Soni Dwi Kuncoro, who recently
recovered from a right foot injury.
"Sony's play is still far below our expectations," Sutiyoso
said.
Taufik is also coming off a knee injury that kept him out of
the All-England championship in March.
In the men's doubles, experienced Candra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto
lost to the young pairing of Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan 12-15,
10-15, while the mixed doubles pair of Nova Widianto/Lyliana
Natsir defeated Flandi Limpele/Yunita Tetty 15-10, 11-15, 15-11.
Although the women's players are considered the team's weakest
link, women's singles coach Hendrawan said he was optimistic that
his shuttlers -- either world number 50 Adrianti Firdasari or
Fransisca Ratnasari -- could contribute some points.
"Our chance to win against the Swedish women is 60 percent,
but against Hong Kong it is only 40 percent because Hong Kong has
Wang Chen, who is among the world's top 10," he said.
Meanwhile, in Jakarta on Sunday, players from Jakarta clubs
Jaya Raya and Tangkas Bogasari, as well as Surabaya's Suryanaga
and Wima, took the major share of titles at the Jakarta
Governor's Cup for under 12 and under 14 age groups.
The major upset was in the under-14 boys, with Subhan Hasan
from Wong Gunung Nrimo of Jakarta beating Tangkas Bogasari's
Evert Sukamta 15-2, 15-6.
In the under 12s, the winners were Soni Setiawan in the boys'
singles (Suryanaga); girls' singles Anggia S.A. (Bina Pratama);
boys doubles Reza/Dimas (Safari Salatiga); and girls' doubles
Anggia/Sella (Bina Pratama)
In the under 14s, the winners were: girls' singles Rena (Jaya
Raya); boys' doubles Febria/Ari (Wima Surabaya); and girls'
doubles Della/Rena (Astec).
Prizes included trophies and cash, ranging Rp 1.2 million for
the boys' under 12 singles winner and Rp 1 million for the girls'
winner, to Rp 1.5 million and Rp 1.2 million for the under 14
singles' winners.