Tennis gives physically disabled a new lease on life
Moch. N. Kurniawan The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Fit and active throughout his life, Agus Sugiharto was left a paraplegic in a matter of seconds.
A soldier in the elite Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), Agus, then 20, suffered a spinal injury in a parachuting accident in Cimahi, West Java, in 1993.
Although he admits he felt "down" after losing his mobility, he found a new outlet for physical activity, enjoyment and competition after watching an exhibition of wheelchair tennis four years later.
Today, he is the highest ranked Indonesian player in the wheelchair tennis rankings of the International Tennis Federation (ITF); his current ranking is 315, but it has been as high as 122.
A quarterfinalist at last year's Malaysian Open, he won the 2003 Singapore Open and Malaysian Open second draw events. He also represented Indonesia at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens.
"I never expected I would compete in the Paralympics when I started to play wheelchair tennis in 1997," the father of one said recently.
"At the beginning, I just thought I would play for fun and to be healthy, but then I won several tournaments."
He plays four times a week at his workplace of the defense ministry's disability rehabilitation center on Jl. RC Veteran 178, Bintaro, South Jakarta.
It's not easy for the physically disabled to find opportunities for sports and exercise in this country, but Agus says the prospects are getting better in wheelchair tennis.
Although wheelchair tennis made its debut when a couple of ITF coaches held a clinic in 1994, the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) recently stepped up promotion of the sport.
Association secretary-general Ferry Raturandang said a coach, Satria E. Negara, had been appointed to develop wheelchair tennis across the country.
"We started our program three months ago by visiting two physical rehabilitation centers in Jakarta," Ferry said.
Last month, Pelti also organized a national championship in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. A total of 36 men's players and 16 women took part; Agus and partner Suyatno were the runners-up in the men's doubles.
Ferry said there were already players in major cities in Java, such as Jakarta, Bogor, Semarang, Yogyakarta and Malang, as well as Medan, Makassar and Manado. He also believes that Aceh, where many people suffered debilitating injuries in the Dec. 26 tsunami, will be another place where the sport can be developed.
There are difficulties, particularly in providing the special, lighter model wheelchairs, which can cost up to US$3,000 each.
Last year, Pelti distributed 10 wheelchairs to players in several cities. The association plans to seek sponsorship from international organizations to fund future purchases.
Another problem is the lack of certified coaches and access to courts.
For Agus, a major issue is finding the funding to play on the NEC Tour, started in 1992 and now consisting of 118 events in 32 countries. His ranking has slipped because he has not played overseas events.
Indonesia lags behind other Asian countries, especially Japan, where wheelchair tennis was first played in the early 1980s, only a few years after its debut in the United States, but also Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
"Travel expenses are a big obstacle for me," he said. "The only way for me to improve and get a better ranking is by playing abroad, but I haven't been able to do so all year."
Ferry stated Pelti's commitment to developing wheelchair tennis.
"Tennis for the players is not only about competition but also a social activity. It is a good atmosphere for them."
For more information on wheelchair tennis internationally, visit www.itfwheelchairtennis.com; for information on local development, contact Ferry Raturandang at tel. 08561900943 or Agus Sugiharto at tel. 08158110073.