Taufik vows to retain Indonesia Open title
Taufik vows to retain Indonesia Open title
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian rising star Taufik Hidayat has vowed
to retain the Indonesian Open title that he won last year in
Bali.
This year's tournament will be held at Senayan indoor stadium
from July 19 to July 23.
"As a defending champion, I want to maintain my domination
here. But I will feel terribly sorry if China does not take part
in this tournament," Taufik told a media briefing on Friday.
"China has been absent for three years and I think the
tournament is not complete without the Chinese shuttlers. It's
not like the All England or Thomas Cup, which are attended by
teams from all over the globe," he said.
Secretary-general of the Badminton Association of Indonesia
(PBSI) Leo Chandra Wiranata said China could spoil its chances
for a good draw in the 2000 Olympic Games should it miss the
five-star tournament.
"China used to promise to come here but at the last moment it
always withdrew for various reasons. Any result in the Indonesia
Open, and Malaysia Open, can affect the seedings in the Olympic
Games. If China misses this tournament, it will suffer in the
seedings," he said.
Leo, however, hoped that China could compete here as the
organizer had offered to subsidize the team's accommodation.
The 18-year-old Taufik, who completed Indonesia's winning
streak in the Thomas Cup by defeating China 3-0 in Kuala Lumpur
last month, said he wished he could meet world top ranking player
Peter Gade Christensen of Denmark in the US$150,000 tournament
sponsored by Sanyo electronics company.
"I have played Peter Gade many times, but I could only beat
him in the Singapore Open last August. I'm still expecting to
fight him even though I've lost to him in most of our meetings,"
he said.
He also said he did not like Danish veteran Paul-Erik Hoyer-
Larsen's playing style. "I don't like his style, but I managed to
beat him in the Thomas Cup," said Taufik, who received on Friday
Rp 100 million in sponsorship payment from Sanyo.
Taufik beat teammate Budi Santoso to clinch the men's singles
title in the 1999 Sanyo Indonesia Open in Bali. Lydia
Djaelawijaya took the women's singles title by defeating fellow
countrywoman Ellen Angelina. Veteran Ricky Ahmad Subagja and Rexy
Mainaky won the men's doubles title after overcoming teammate
Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan.
Dane doubles pair Helene Kirkegaard and Rike Olsen beat host
pair Eliza Nathanael and Deyana Lomban to take the women's
doubles title while the long-time partnering of Trikus Haryanto
and Minarti Timur beat Bambang Suprianto and Zelin Resiana in the
all-Indonesian mixed doubles final. (ivy)