Taufik's victory surprises
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Indonesian shuttler Taufik Hidayat's success in winning a gold medal in Athens has been a major surprise not only to Indonesian badminton enthusiasts but to the country's past Olympians back home.
With only the Asian championship as his major achievement this year, Taufik entered the Athens competition as an unseeded player. China, with his players topping the world's top three rankings had been expected to make a sweep.
The Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) had been relying on three men's doubles pair to carry Indonesia's bid to maintain its gold tradition in the sport.
However, Taufik, whose tantrums and volatile emotion have many times put him in harsh criticism, battled the odds to crave what may turn out to be his most glittering career achievement. He overpowered Shon Seung-mo of South Korea 15-8, 15-7 in the final.
His rise to the peak, the second in the men's singles in 12 years after Alan Budikusuma did in Barcelona or fifth overall by Indonesian badminton team, has come to a big surprise at least to past fellow Olympic gold medalists.
"From the very beginning, I had never predicted that Taufik, with his temperamental style and unstable performance, could be as successful in the Olympics," 2000 gold medalist Candra Wijaya said when contacted by The Jakarta Post.
"He apparently managed to take everything under control, ...restrain his emotion. He could play in calm mode and he did not show any burden and ...won the game," Candra said.
Candra teamed up with Tony Gunawan, now taking a coaching- playing role for United States team, won Indonesia's only gold medal in Sydney in 2000 in the men's doubles event.
Indonesia also brought home sole gold medal from Atlanta 1996, courtesy of Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky while the team's two golds in Barcelona 1992 were contributed by Alan Budikusuma and Susi Susanti in the men's and women's singles.
Like many others, Candra tipped either one of the three men's doubles pairs in the Indonesian squad to follow up their predecessors feat, but he was proven wrong.
Sigit Budiarto and Tri Kusharjanto, Luluk Hadiyanto and Alven Yulianto crashed out in the early stages, leaving Flandy Limpele and Eng Hian in contention only to end up with a bronze.
"It is always difficult to predict the outcome in the men's singles match because players from many countries have equal strength.
"That is what a good competition should be, you will never know who is going to win," Alan said with reference to the surprise of exit of China's pre-tournament strong contenders Lin Dan, Chen Hong and Bao Chun Lai.
Indonesia won a second bronze Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who defeated Thailand's Boonsak Polsana.
Overall, Indonesia, which fielded 39 athletes in 13 sports, has collected a gold, silver and two bronzes. The silver was contributed by weightlifter Lisa Rumbewas.
"With Taufik's victory, we hope we can prove to the world that we're able to do it because so far people have underestimated us, saying that we haven't achieved anything good in the last few months," Alan said.
He said that right now it would be the right time for PBSI to prepare junior shuttlers for the next Olympic Games in Beijing so Indonesia could be able once again to prove the world that the country is a badminton powerhouse in the world.