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AKARTA: Three foot massage machines from World Badminton Federation sponsor OSIM massager are set up around the media center of the Djarum Indonesia Open Superseries Premier badminton tournament at the Istora sport center in Central Jakarta, providing media members with a taste of luxury.

“The massagers give a different feel to this year’s Open. Those things are really relaxing, keeping us fresh for our tight working schedule,” Topskor journalist Putra Permata Tegar said on Wednesday, adding that last year’s event lacked the machines.

Meanwhile, Jawa Pos journalist Muhammad Amjad said that a 15-minute electric massage brought great comfort to his feet. “My feet feel lighter. It’s a great thing.”

Despite the little diversion, however, journalists covering the Open faced discomfort, too, when the electricity went off for about 10 minutes — a common occurrence in the capital. Some personal computers had their own power supplies, but others were not so lucky. With the high-level tournament, organizers tried their best to provide all parties involved in the event with complete facilities. — JP