Tennis gives physically disabled a new lease on life
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.