Badmintion RI best chance for Olympic gold: Minister

Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng says Indonesia’s best chance to win gold in the 2012 London Olympics be in badminton.

“Badminton must win one gold medal. There are chances in the mixed doubles and men’s doubles categories,” he said at British ambassador to Indonesia Mark Canning’s residence on Tuesday as quoted by tempo.co.

Indonesia’s mixed doubles duo Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir are currently ranked fifth in the world. In the men’s doubles category, Indonesia has several choices such as Bona Septano and Muhammad Ahsan, Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan, and Alvent Yulianto Chandra and Hendra Aprida Gunawan.

However, Indonesian badminton Olympic gold medalist Susi Susanti doubted Indonesia’s chances of claiming gold in London given the athletes’ short preparation period.

“The pressure of the Olympics is very different. If we are serious about being champions then the preparations must be maximal,” she said.

For the 2012 London Olympics, Indonesia will send representatives for weightlifting, archery, badminton and swimming.

In the previous Olympic Games in Beijing, Indonesia finished 42^nd after winning one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.