Taufik named in SEA Games squad
JAKARTA (JP): World ranked number 11 badminton player, Taufik Hidayat, finally joins the national squad for the 20th Southeast Asian Games in Brunei next month, despite an objection that he is lacking preparation.
"It's not that I don't want to fight for my country but I think it would have been better if the National Sports Council (KONI) had asked the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) earlier to include me in the team," Taufik said after a practice session on Friday.
"My coach has prepared me to compete in the Singapore and Indonesia Open tournaments as qualifying rounds for the 2000 Olympic Games. If I have to play in the SEA Games, we must change my training program," he complained.
The inclusion of Taufik in the team was announced on Thursday by KONI. The council, which aims to win 70 of 235 golds available at the Southeast Asian Games, urged PBSI to make a clean sweep of seven golds instead of its original target of only five.
The PBSI official in charge of athletes development, Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar, said that Taufik would be concentrating on the singles event.
"He must win the singles gold medal. While in the team event, he will probably only play in the semifinals and final," he said.
Siregar said Taufik would have to return home sooner than the contingent to prepare for the Singapore Open.
"Actually, I object the decision because it's really sudden. I was shocked. But I have to be ready to play," Taufik said.
PBSI has registered Jeffer Rosobin, Ronny Agustinus, and Johan Hadikusuma in the men's singles and Flandy Limpele, Eng Hian, Halim Heryanto, Agung Wahyu and Imam Tohari in the men's doubles. Taufik will replace Imam.
But the singles shuttlers performed poorly in the Malaysia Open last week and the ongoing Thailand Open. Jeffer, who played in the Asia Cup championships in 1996, lost to Malaysian Rashid Sidek in Kuala Lumpur and to Malaysian Yap Yong Yen in Bangkok.
Taufik said he had expected that KONI would urge him to play at the biennial event after the council had announced its objection with PBSI team lineup.
"But I was still surprised when my coach, Mulyo Handoyo, asked me on Wednesday to play at the Games. I called my parents and they suggested to me that I should play."
Taufik has been scheduled to play in the Singapore Open from Aug. 23 to Aug. 29 and Indonesia Open from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5 in Bali. He hoped to reach the semifinals in both Grand Prix series.
"No matter what the result in the SEA Games is, I will still compete in both tournaments. I have set my target to finish eighth in the world by the end of this year. In May 2000, I have to be in the best four or five. I must ensure that I get the best ranking to prepare for the Olympics draw next year," said the Olympic Solidarity scholarship recipient.
Coach Mulyo said he would prepare Taufik harder to be ready to compete in three tournaments in a row.
"It maybe hard for him but we must push him to be stronger. He must work harder to succeed in the three events," he said.
Mulyo named Malaysian singles of Wong Choon Han, Roslin Hashim, Yong Hock Kin and Jason Wong as Taufik's strongest opponents.
In the women's team, PBSI has registered Cindana, Ellen Angelina, Lidya Djaelawidjaja, Yuli Marfuah, Etty Tantri, Cynthia Tuwankotta, Emma Ermawati and Vita Marissa.(yan)