Thomas, Uber Cup squads to be decided fairly

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) promised on Tuesday a fair and transparent selection of players for the 2002 Thomas Cup world men's team championship and its women's category Uber Cup.

"We have placed most of the shuttlers joining the Indonesian Badminton Center (PBI) into the provisional lineup, which includes several junior players," PBSI secretary-general Lutfi Hamid told reporters.

"We will evaluate them based on to their training progress. If the juniors can beat their seniors, they will surely deserve places in the team."

Lutfi was trying to play down a move by PBSI to name several former national players in the provisional lineup for the Thomas and Uber Cups.

On Wednesday, PBSI announced the skeleton of the national teams for both the Thomas and Uber Cups, which consisted of 20 men shuttlers and 18 women.

To everyone's surprise, former national players Ellen Angelina and Yuli Marfuah in the women's side, and Taufik Hidayat and Tony Gunawan in the men's division, were among candidates for the team. The four have left the badminton center.

Ellen asked PBSI to pick her coach, Liang Chiu Sia, who is a former national coach, into the team, and PBSI agreed immediately.

The Uber Cup roster boasted senior players Deyana Lomban, Emma Ermawati, Lidya Djaelawijaya, Minarti Timur and Vita Marissa, Accompanying them were second stringers Atu Rosalina, Chindana Hartono, Dewi Tira, Dian Novita Sari and juniors Eny Erlangga, Jo Novita, Rossi Riani, Diah Novita, Eny Widowati, Endang Nursugianti and Lita Nurlita.

Jacob Rusdianto has been appointed Uber Cup team manager with Ivana Lie his deputy. Meanwhile, PBSI's training director Christian Hadinata will be the Thomas Cup team manager.

World champions Hendrawan and Candra Wijaya will spearhead the Thomas Cup team, together with Bambang Supriyanto, Halim Haryanto, Marlev Mainaky, Sigit Budiarto and Tri Kusheryanto.

Also in the team are second stringers Budi Santoso, Johan Hadikusuma, Rony Agustinus, Nova Widhoanto, Endra Mulyajaya, Luluk Hadiyanto, Wahyu Agung and juniors Alvent Yulianto, Ardiansyah, Hendra A Gunawan and Sony Dwi Kuncoro.

"PBSI wants to recruit all the good shuttlers by inviting former national shuttlers into the shadow team," said Lutfi, who also acts as the project manager.

"All shuttlers have an equal opportunity to be in the main team. It will be decided on court by themselves."

Lutfi said PBSI was concentrating now on preparations for the Uber Cup semifinals round, to take place from Feb. 20 until Feb. 24 in Melbourne, Australia.

"We must admit that our women shuttlers are not as strong as their predecessors several years ago, not to mention that most of the seniors have been struck by injury," he said.

"Our current concentration doesn't mean we have forgotten the Thomas Cup team as we still have time for better preparation."

The last time Indonesia held the Uber Cup was in 1996 after defeating China in Hong Kong but China captured the cup in 1998, also in Hong Kong.

Indonesia is the current defending champion in the Thomas Cup and has an automatic place in the finals round in Guangzhou, China next May.