Top shuttler launches training center

JAKARTA: Not everyone can make a childhood dream come true, but Indonesian badminton star Taufik Hidayat is an exception.

Construction of the 6,600-square-meter Taufik Hidayat Arena is now underway in Ciracas, East Jakarta. It is the fulfillment of a childhood dream of the world number five.

“Since I was a child I have dreamed of a building that can be used by many people for badminton,” Taufik said during the training center’s ground-breaking ceremony Wednesday.

The center, whose facilities are said to rival those of the National Badminton Federation’s national training camp, is scheduled to be completed within a year.

The arena contains eight courts, a dormitory, a gym, a medical center, a cafeteria, the Taufik Hidayat Gallery, a conference room, an audiovisual room, an Internet lounge and even a soccer field.

The center’s training team, called the Taufik Hidayat Force (THForce), has been coaching young players from Indonesia, the Czech Republic, China, Malaysia, Canada, Japan, and Mexico for about half a year. — JP