Talented teen meteor Mia hopes for bigger thing to come
JAKARTA (JP): For the next two or three years, world champion Susi Susanti may be looking over her shoulder at the threat posed to her mantle by the very junior -- and very talented -- Mia Audina.
Mia, the most natural talent Indonesia has, in the words of former Uber heroine Minarni Sudaryanto, will turn 15 in August but she is a nearing menace in the badminton world with an all- out attacking game which led her side to its first Uber Cup in 19 years.
The junior high school student appears to be another example of the modern teen sports phenomenon, who sometimes dominate at tender ages. The tennis world, swimming and gymnastics have all witnessed youthful meteors. It is hoped that this one, unlike so many other young talents, will not burn out from the pressure.
Mia answered all her doubters and the controversy surrounding her team selection with a maturity and coolness that took her past many far more experienced opponents.
She was only a reserve when the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) announced its Uber Cup lineup. But she lived up coach Liang Chiusia's expectations with two wins over Dane Lotte Thomsen and South Korean Lee Jo-hyun on Indonesia's way to entering the final.
"We badly needed a player who could stay cool in a nerve- wracking game," Liang said on the use of Mia in the decisive fifth game against China in Friday's final. "Mia passed her tests with flying colors."
Born and raised in the capital city, Mia says she never imagined she would swing a racket and chase a shuttlecock for her nation.
"I was dreaming of becoming a doctor," the youngest of Rivai Tjiptawan's three children says. This aside, she has been trained for success for a long time, joining her first badminton club at the age of five.
She appeared destined for the national team when she captured the girl's singles title at the national junior championship, a PBSI scouting ground, in 1991.
Mia waited two years for a call-up to the national training camp. Two straight international junior titles in Holland and Germany shortly after her admittance to the training camp helped her leapfrog in status to stand eye-to-eye with Indonesia's elite players.
"The world number one spot is now my next goal. I wish to make as many outings as possible to better my world ranking," Mia said in marked contrast to her usual timidity.
The rising star has entered several major tournaments since last year, with her brightest spot coming at the All-England last March, when she forced Chinese second seed Ye Zhaoying to labor. Mia led a set before losing to the world number two.
Coach Liang says Mia, currently world number 33, has a distinguished badminton style but needs improvement. "As Mia may grow a little bit taller, she cannot bank on her attack-minded play only. She needs a variety of strokes," she says. Mia is only 160 centimeters high.
Mia finds nothing special with her attacking badminton. "I play just as I want," Mia says of the smashes and acrobatic overhead strokes which leave her opponents bemused.
The world number one is still a long way off for Mia, and the Uber Cup celebration will soon be over. The South Koreans, Chinese and Danes, who have a core group of tough and young players, will pose a major challenge for the Indonesian teenager's campaign. (amd)