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Where there's a will, there's a way, says Simon
Sportsmanship: Marc Zwiebler of Germany gives Simon Santoso a hug at the end of their match on Tuesday
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Sportsmanship: Marc Zwiebler of Germany gives Simon Santoso a hug at the end of their match on Tuesday. Simon won 21-12, 13-21, 22-20. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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span class="inline inline-none">Sportsmanship: Marc Zwiebler of Germany gives Simon Santoso a hug at the end of their match on Tuesday. Simon won 21-12, 13-21, 22-20. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
Stringing together a set of convincing performances in recent months, Indonesian badminton player Simon Santoso is sending a clear warning that he is still a force to be reckoned with.
After winning in Singapore by beating world number one Lee Chong Wei, he carried on with blistering run at the recent Thomas Cup competition in New Delhi, although the Indonesian team was stopped in the semifinals.
He then found himself included in a list of new players announced by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) to be called up for national training, but he said his status had yet to be confirmed.
He is now eying a second title at the Indonesian Open after the first he secured in 2012, and is setting his sights on the Australian Open Superseries to follow this year.
The veteran has often refused to comment on his future after deciding to retire from the national training camp (Pelatnas) in Cipayung, East Jakarta, earlier this year, due to injuries and a series of poor performances the previous year.
Following his victory against German men's singles player Marc Zwiebler on the second day of the BCA Indonesia Open, Simon said he was not thinking about his future with the national training camp, as he did not want to be distracted from his main focus of winning the tournament.
His motivation is being reflected in his simple, yet firm, philosophy that prioritizes hard work to achieve success.
'Success does not come by itself. I believe I should work hard to reach that and I believe there is a way if I have the will,' Simon told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Simon, who was born in Tegal, Central Java, on July 29, 1985, joined the national training camp in 2002 rose to number three in the world rankings.
The youngest of four children, he was suffering from parotitis at the end of 2012, then a prolonged thigh injury in 2013, which saw his ranking drop to 48 in June 2013 and then to 58 in February this year.
However, Simon's triumph against world number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the final of the Singapore Open Super Series in April bounced his world ranking back to No. 28. He then helped Indonesia reach the Thomas Cup semifinal last month, where the national squad lost to Malaysia.
Simon, a fan of swimming and Moto GP, acknowledged that victory at the Singapore Open Super Series had stabilized his performances, which he was looking to improve as the BCA Indonesia Open.
'All players in the tournament have the same opportunities and countries have more experience now, especially Japan, which won the last Thomas Cup for the first time. So, it all depends on preparation, training and communication with our coaches,' he said. (gda)
