H

aving tied the knot has helped boost national shuttler Sony Dwi Kuncoro's fighting spirit to dedicate a world champion title to wife Gading Safitri despite tough hurdles ahead.

"I will dedicate a better achievement for my family," the 25-year-old said on the sidelines of a modest ceremony to send away the contingent at the Indonesian Badminton Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta, Friday.

The men's singles player cast away doubt that he might not be able to compete at the biennial event. Busy with his hectic schedule for his wedding ceremony in Surabaya, Sony had to skip intensive trainings at the center. His three-week absence had made the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) officials to nearly scrap his name from the list for the Aug. 10-16 championships.

"Badminton is my profession. If I perform badly, how will I feed my wife? I will play better this time. It is my responsibility as a husband," said Sony, who had his wedding ceremony on July 24.

Despite his absence, however, Sony managed to keep his physical condition in check by training at his Suryanaga club in Surabaya.

The 2007 World Championships runner-up said this year's drawing looked similar to two years ago.

"Let me focus on one match at a time until I manage to reach the final," said Sony, who failed to defend his title at the recent Indonesia Open Super Series after loosing to compatriot Taufik Hidayat in the semifinal.

Two years ago, Sony bowed out to Chinese eventual champion Lin Dan in the World Championships final in Kuala Lumpur. This year, Sony, seeded sixth in the event, will face Michael Lahnsteiner from Austria in the first round.

Besides Sony, PBSI has also sent 15 other shuttlers and eight officials to the championships in Heyderabad, India.

PBSI chairman Djoko Santoso acknowledged that the country could not hope too much at the event due to dim performances by national shuttlers in a series of international events.

"We can not hope too much. We are facing the age factor and health issue just like what happened to *Markis Kido*," he said.

Indonesia had to pull out men's doubles defending champions Kido and Hendra Setiawan after Kido passed out in a training session due to high blood pressure.

"It is more important *for us* that Kido recovers from his illness. The future of the athlete is our main concern," PBSI secretary general Jacob Rusdianto said.

"Whatever the result in the championships is. we have prepared our best by initiating intensive physical training since the start of the second semester this year," said Djoko. He emphasized PBSI would continue mending athletes performance by intensive physical training, physical and psychology examinations, and retraining senior players with a similar program to their juniors at the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java.

Without the presence of Kido and Hendra, Indonesia's biggest hope for a world champion title rested on the shoulders of mixed duo Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir, who won in 2005 and 2007. Nova and Lilyana are expected to make a hattrick although their performance is in questions with the pair only took a silver medal at last year's Beijing Olympics and a title from the Malaysian Open Super Series earlier this year.

Nonetheless, there has been a discussion going on in PBSI to split the duo as Nova will turn 32 in October, and thus there is the urgency to find a match for 23-year-old Lilyana.