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.