Ten players head to China Open

Ten players head to China Open

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Badmitton Association (PBSI) will send 10
shuttlers to the China Open next month, eyeing men's singles'
players to reach the finals.

The matches will be held at Guangzhou Tianhe Gymnasium,
Guangzhou, from Nov. 9 to Nov. 14 with a total of US$250,000 in
prize money.

Indonesian hopefuls are 2004 Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat
and Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the men's singles, Candra Wijaya/Sigit
Budiarto and Markis Kidho/Hendra Setiawan in the men's doubles,
Nova Widhianto/Lilyana Natsir and Anggun Nugroho/Yunita Tetty in
the mixed doubles.

"We hope Taufik can reach the men's singles finals. Reaching
the semifinals in the men's doubles would be a good run for our
players," PBSI head of development affairs Icuk Sugiarto said
here on Tuesday.

Icuk said he would not set a target for the mixed doubles as
they were newly paired.

He acknowledged the tough field of the China Open with the
hosts expected to run hot on their own turf.

"Therefore, we have to be accept that a maximum target of
becoming finalists is realistic. We don't want to be preoccupied
with chasing the championship. That would only burden the
shuttlers," he said.

Candra Wijaya, whose appearance in Guangzhou will see him
reunite with former partner Sigit Budiarto for the first time
since 2002, are expected to reach the semifinals.

The players will continue their trip to the $170,00 Singapore
Open from Nov. 15 to Nov. 21, where they will be joined by other
players comprising of Simon Santoso, Wimpie Mahardi, men's
doubles Luluk Hadiyanto/Alven Yulianto and Flandi Limpele/Eng
Hiam, women's doubles Jo Novita/Lita Nurlita, Gresyia Polii/Heni
Budiman, and Natalia/Rane Mundiastuti.