Talented teen meteor Mia hopes for bigger thing to come
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)