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Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir: Committed to excellence in badminton
LILYANA NATSIR: (JP/P
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LILYANA NATSIR: (JP/P.J. Leo)
At the age of 12, when her peers were busy with dolls, Lilyana Natsir made a risky decision. She quit school for badminton.
It was a brave decision for the youngest daughter of father Beno Natsir and mother Olly Maramis. Their oldest daughter Calista Natsir is a doctor.
"I was confused when I had to choose between the two. But I decided if I wanted to be a serious badminton player, then I would have to sacrifice my studies. Besides, you can study anytime. but there's a narrow window for an athlete," she said.
Her hard work and commitment paid off after bringing home a silver medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games along with her partner Nova Widianto.
"It was difficult to believe we could win the gold. With the pressure, we should be thankful we won the silver," she said. The Indonesians lost to eventual champions Lee Dong-jae and Lee Hyo-jung of South Korea.
Nova, who was born on Oct. 10, 1977, was disappointed with the result. "We didn't play our best today and we couldn't cope with our rivals' performance. I'm very disappointed for not winning the gold."
Their silver medal was the second for Indonesia in badminton mixed doubles. Tri Kusheryanto and Minarti Timur won the first silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. First place went to the 2005 and 2007 champions.
Playing as a pair since 2004, Lilyana and Nova performed convincingly in their debuts, defeating Olympic champions Zhang Jun and Gao Ling at the 2004 China Open and claiming their first title at the Singapore Open a few weeks later.
Their impressive performance continued on, having now won two world champion titles in addition to their silver in the Olympics.
Lilyana, nicknamed Butet, recalled how they first came to be partners.
She partnered Rone Runtulalo, representing North Sulawesi, in the 2004 National Games in Palembang, South Sumatra, and they challenged favorites Nova and Vita, representing Jakarta, in a rubber game mixed doubles final.
Despite the defeat, her performance impressed coach Richard Mainaky, who was looking for new talent after the departure of Minarti and Tri as well as looking for Vita's replacement, who was to undergo shoulder surgery. Richard later asked Nova's opinion on the possibility of partnering with Lilyana.
"Let's try," Nova said. "She's tough. She has naturally difficult and deceptive strokes."
As the more senior player, Nova often gives tips to Lilyana, telling her that to improve her performance she needs to train more.
Although Nova is very quiet and serious, Lilyana respects him.
"He may seem temperamental but he's a nice person. He doesn't get angry easily. Only a few people are able to joke with him. He's quite funny."
Nova, the son of father Santoso and mother Sutari, prefers to stay home with his wife Eni Widiowati, updating his Facebook or playing video games on his PlayStation.
Meanwhile, when Lilyana isn't practicing, she likes to spend time with her friends. Born in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Sept. 9, 1985, she comes from a family of sport enthusiasts. She joined Pisok club in her hometown while in elementary school.
In 1997, during her school holiday to Jakarta, Lilyana and her mother tested her skills at Tangkas. Surprisingly, she was admitted to the club. It was a difficult time for Lilyana, who had never lived apart from her parents.
"My mother could only stay in Jakarta for three months before she had to go home. I cried for days but finally overcame my sorrow."
When Lilyana joined Tangkas, Nova, who was born in Klaten, Central Java, was still a member of Djarum before eventually moving to Tangkas.
After five years at the club, Lilyana was selected to join the national training center. However, after two years at the center, she began to doubt her decision. She had won no titles in women's doubles with then partner Eni Erlangga.
Meanwhile, Nova, who had joined the national training center in 1999 and had focused as a mixed double player, partnered with Vita Marissa. They competed at international levels and their achievements included reaching the quarterfinals of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
But only after Lilyana and Nova became partners did their performances excel. Despite the age gap and personality differences, the two share the same passion -- to earn as many titles as possible.
"I will play for two more years," Nova said, a soccer and futsal lover. "My goal is to win the All England title and a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games. That will be a nice retirement."
Lilyana agrees with her partner.
"The All England is the next target for sure. This year, we lost in the finals. Also, we will compete in next year's Southeast Asia (SEA) Games and the 2010 Asian Games."
Coach Richard still believes the pair can earn a gold medal at the SEA Games two years from now.
"They can still play at the top level. Nova may quit before the 2012 Olympics but he will stay until the SEA Games," he said.
"Coaching them is hard work but fruitful. I'm so proud of them. They always follow the rules and their commitment to the sport is amazing.
"Their achievements in world-class events have given mixed doubles much respect and proves it is possible to win medals in a major multi-sporting event."
