Taufik loses cool with badminton bosses
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat is threatening to withdraw from the Indonesia team for the All England tournament next month in protest of the Indonesian Badminton Association's (PBSI) move to cut 50 percent of his Olympic bonus money from sponsor Yonex.
Taufik was a finalist at the All England in 1999 and 2000. After his Olympic triumph in Athens last year, his confidence is high, and he is expected to vie for the title in the All England, if he goes, which will run from March 8 to 13.
But that bid is now uncertain after an incident at the National Training Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta, on Tuesday.
After he wrapped up his morning training session, Taufik got into a quarrel with the head of PBSI's development affairs and director of the training center Icuk Sugiarto.
Several coaches, including men's doubles coach Christian Hadinata and Taufik's mentor Mulyo Handoyo, had to step in and break up the heated argument.
Taufik berated Icuk, accusing him of not fighting for the shuttlers' rights and calling him a liar. Icuk yelled back and told Taufik to behave himself.
After the quarrel, Icuk explained to curious journalists that Taufik was demanding 100 percent of the 2004 Olympic Games bonus of US$45,000 given by Yonex, one of the largest badminton accessories manufacturers in the world.
"That would be against PBSI policy, which states that bonuses from sponsors are halved between the shuttlers and PBSI. That policy has been in place for several years," Icuk explained.
"We have not changed the policy, so Taufik gets 50 percent of his 2004 Olympic Games bonus."
Taufik won Indonesia's only gold medal in Athens.
Icuk said Taufik should have understood the policy, instead of blaming him for not fighting for the shuttlers' rights.
"He seems unhappy with the 50-50 split and is threatening not to participate in All England," Icuk said, and added that he would leave it to PBSI chairman Sutiyoso to handle the issue.
Taufik, who was named Player of the Year in 2004 by the International Badminton Federation (IBF), could not be reached for comment after the spat with Icuk.
If Taufik carries through on his threat, that would leave it to men's singles youngster Simon Santoso; women's singles players Ardianti Firdasari and Maria Kristin; men's doubles pairs Luluk Hadiyanto/Alven Yulianto, Candra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto, Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan; women's doubles pair Jo Novita/Lita Nurlita, and mixed doubles pairs Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir, Anggun Nugroho/Yunita Tetty and Devin Lahardi/Eny Widiowati to represent Indonesia at the All England.