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.