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Jakarta Post

Olympic spots, bigger prize on offer for shuttlers

We’re ready: Shuttler Hana Ramadhini (left to right), national training camp head Ricky Subagja, Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) chairman Gita Wirjawan, Djarum Foundation director Yan Haryadi Susanto, Bank Central Asia (BCA) president director Jahja Setiaatmadja and shuttlers Angga Pratama and Ricky Karanda Suwardi pose after a press conference ahead of the BCA Indonesia Open badminton tournament in Jakarta on Monday

Irawaty Wardany (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, May 26, 2015

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Olympic spots, bigger prize on offer for shuttlers

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span class="inline inline-center">We'€™re ready: Shuttler Hana Ramadhini (left to right), national training camp head Ricky Subagja, Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) chairman Gita Wirjawan, Djarum Foundation director Yan Haryadi Susanto, Bank Central Asia (BCA) president director Jahja Setiaatmadja and shuttlers Angga Pratama and Ricky Karanda Suwardi pose after a press conference ahead of the BCA Indonesia Open badminton tournament in Jakarta on Monday. JP/Awo

The 2015 BCA Indonesia Open Superseries Premier badminton tournament is set to be a battle between world-class players, not only for the bigger prize money of US$800,000 on offer, but for a place at the summer Olympic Games.

The superseries will take place from June 2 to 7 at the Senayan Indoor Stadium, Central Jakarta, and will feature around 500 players '€” including the world'€™s 40 top shuttlers in five events '€” from 20 countries.

'€œThe Indonesia Open is only one of six super series premier tournaments, and last year we were honored by the Badminton World Federation as the best badminton tournament. Hopefully, we can have a similar success this year with victories [for Indonesia],'€ Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) chairman Gita Wirjawan told a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

Superseries premier tournaments offer many points and are second only to the BWF world championships and the summer Olympics. Apart from the Indonesia Open, the other superseries premier tournaments include the historic All England championships, the Malaysia Open, Denmark Open and China Open.

The Korea Open was a superseries premier tournament between 2011 and 2013 before it was downgraded to a superseries tournament in 2014.

In last year'€™s tournament, Indonesia was unable to secure victory, with national favorites Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in the men'€™s doubles and Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir in the mixed doubles losing in the final and semifinals, respectively.

Ahsan and Hendra bowed out to archrivals Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong of South Korea while Tontowi and Liliyana were outplayed by China'€™s top seeds Xu Chen and Ma Jin.

 '€œWe hope we can obtain two titles this year from the men'€™s doubles and mixed doubles events. Who knows, maybe our women'€™s doubles athletes can also win,'€ said national training camp head Ricky Subagja.

The Indonesia Open has proved to be no easy tournament for the host, despite it being played on home turf. After snatching the men'€™s doubles and women'€™s doubles titles in 2008, the Indonesia went through a title drought until men'€™s singles player Simon Santoso won in 2012.

In 2013, Ahsan and Hendra won the men'€™s doubles but were unable to defend it in 2014.

Gita hoped the tournament would be a benchmark for young players to display their best performances.

'€œIn the singles events, we will give opportunities to young talents, such as Jonatan Christie, Ikhsan Maulana, Firman Abdul Kholik and Hana Ramadhini to compete against athletes from China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, India, Denmark, England and many others,'€ he said.

'€œThis tournament will be a stepping stone for athletes to gain spots at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Hopefully, those who take part in the tournament will build their confidence in the event as preparation for the Olympics,'€ said Gita, a former trade minister.

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