Truism, platitudes at Thomas, Uber Cups pre-match talks

JAKARTA (JP): The Thomas Cup and Uber Cup pre-match interviews are times when everybody says "We'll do our best."

The hour-long interviews are held daily at 11 a.m. at the Jakarta Hilton International hotel, where all the teams are staying. Each interview brings together the team managers of the groups that will play the following day and each will also "do their best" not to reveal his team's strategy.

"Secret," Carsten Laugesen, Danish Thomas Cup and Uber Cup team manager, said curtly yesterday when asked how his team would play against South Korea this evening.

Aware of pat answers, reporters ask questions such as on the newly installed air-conditioning system at the Senayan sports hall where the matches are being held.

"It makes a big difference. It should have been done 10 or 15 years ago," commented Laugesen.

Another common phrase is "They are a very strong team", and every team manager insists that his team will never take its opponent lightly.

"There are no easy matches," said Laugesen.

Even Malaysia, which will play long-shot Thailand this evening, says it is fielding its top guns.

"Yes, we'll play our best team although Thailand is the underdog," said team manager Punch Gunalan.

Thailand, which lost 0-5 to Denmark on Wednesday evening, hopes to fare better against Malaysia this evening.

"They are of the same height," said team manager Vanchai Sansaniyakulvilai.

"The last time we played it was against the Danes, who were tall," he astutely observed.

"My players were scared when they saw the tall Danish players," he lamented, to which Laugesen said "Sorry. Next time I will ask them to go on their knees."

Commenting on his team's next Thomas Cup match against South Korea, Laugesen said he was very anxious because Korea is a strong team to beat.

"But I'm confident," he said, adding that hopefully his team would win two doubles and one singles against Malaysia, whom he said performed well in edging South Korea 3-2 on Wednesday.

South Korea's manager Kim Joong-so had something similar to say about his side's next opponent.

"I think Denmark is a very strong team, especially its singles and first doubles," said Kim.

Commenting on China, Laugesen pointed out that the Chinese team is a mere shell of its former self.

"I don't think they (China) can beat Denmark, Malaysia, or even South Korea. Denmark has a better chance against Indonesia than China," he said.

Uber Cup

While badminton buffs do not favor Indonesia to capture the Uber Cup, world number one Susi Susanti however, believes "we still have a good chance to win the coveted trophy."

"Many pundits say that South Korea and China have better chances to win the Cup, but for me, I could say Indonesia could win it," Susi said.

She said assessments of the teams' strengths on paper cannot be used as the only yardstick since they have proven hopelessly wrong on many occasions, especially in a team event like the Thomas and Uber Cups.

Susi cited Indonesia 's upset defeats at the hands of Malaysia in the last three Thomas Cup championships. "Who would dare suggest that Malaysia would beat Indonesia because on paper our players were better than the Malaysians." (lem)