The last of Indonesia's Olympians leave for U.S.
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia embarked on its grueling passage to Olympic glory at Atlanta yesterday with a team heavily relying on its badminton players.
The 23 members of the team who departed yesterday, including 20 badminton players, will have only a few days to tune up when they join their teammates who arrived in Atlanta last week.
But badminton ladies' singles defending champion Susi Susanti showed no apprehension even though she has a tougher job in front of her than at Barcelona four years ago.
"I'm fully ready for my last Olympics although a string of tough hurdles lie in my way to the pinnacle," she said yesterday during a send-off ceremony led by National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar.
"I know I have a chance to earn a gold medal but God will decide. Winning gold medals is what all athletes are dreaming about at the Olympics," Susi said.
Indonesia's badminton living legend, Rudy Hartono, predicted that ladies' singles, men's singles and men's doubles could be relied upon in the gold medal race which starts on July 24.
Susi is making her last Olympic appearance before marrying Alan Budikusuma next February. She and Alan won Indonesia's two gold medals in Barcelona.
Susi said her old foes Ye Zhaoying of China and Bang Soo-hyun of South Korea were her most dangerous contenders. Another challenger, world number four Lim Xiaoqing of Sweden, will miss the Summer Games because of injury.
Susi's teammate, Mia Audina, refused to boast about her chances. "I do not dream of winning my first Olympic medal in Atlanta." she said. The 17-year-old will wear a knee support during her matches even though she has been declared fit.
The inconsistent world men's singles champion Hariyanto Arby said he will brush aside people's doubts about his chances in Atlanta.
"I feel better as an underdog. The time has come to prove that an unrated player can win a gold medal," he said. He has long been overshadowed by his compatriot and world number one Joko Suprianto.
Hariyanto helped Indonesia clinch the Thomas Cup in Hong Kong last May when he downed Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen of Denmark in the tournament's deciding match.
Tennis squad
Indonesian tennis queen Yayuk Basuki and her doubles partner Romana Tedjakusuma also departed yesterday.
Yayuk, after a 2-3 Fed Cup loss to Switzerland on Sunday, said that her chances, either in singles or doubles, looked dim.
She automatically qualified for the women's singles because of her number 28 world ranking, and because of her partnership with Romana; they won the Asian Championships last year, earning a wild card entry to Atlanta.
Coach Suharyadi, who is also Yayuk's husband, said that Yayuk needs only to maintain her physical fitness and confidence for the Olympics.
"She has nothing to worry about. She is well prepared," said Suharyadi who has shaved his head. He said that Yayuk is expected to reach the quarterfinals at Atlanta.
Men's judoist Krisna Bayu, the last name to be included in Indonesia's 40-strong team, set a realistic target of improving his Asian ranking in Atlanta. The 86-kilogram judoist was granted a wild card to the Olympics.
"This is not the SEA Games where I could clinch a pair of gold medals. Winning any medals at Atlanta looks almost impossible," the 22-year-old said. (yan)