Trade minister named new badminton association chief

Gita Wirjawan: Indonesian Trade Minister. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan was appointed the new chief of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) during the association’s plenary session at its national meeting in Yogyakarta on Friday.

“All members of the PBSI are in favor of appointing Gita Wirjawan as the new chief,” said Koesdarto Pramono, who led the meeting.

Gita replaces Djoko Susilo and will serve a four-year term until 2016. He defeated his contender, former badminton world champion Icuk Sugiarto, who is the current chief of the PBSI’s Jakarta branch.

Antara news agency reported that Gita secured support from 31 PBSI representatives throughout the country. Icuk only received support from Jakarta and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

Previously, Gita said he would focus on the training of younger shuttlers if he was elected as the association's chief.

Many hope that the new PBSI chief will resurrect the past glories of Indonesia's badminton athletes, which have faded over the past few years. At the 2012 London Olympics, Indonesia’s badminton squad came home without a medal, the first time that Indonesian shuttlers had not done so since the country’s participation in the games in 1992. (riz/lfr)