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n a career of dedication to badminton, Retno Kustiyah has spent five decades listening to the sound of sneakers screeching against the court, and she realizes that changes need to be made in the way the country develops the next generation of talent.

Retno, who is currently a caretaker at prominent badminton club Jayaraya, received an award from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week for her lifetime dedication to the one of the country’s most popular sports.

“The era has changed now. We cannot force today’s generation to do exactly as we did back then,” said Retno, pointing out how values such hard work and persistence have been sidelined by consumerism and materialism, which offer instant gratification.

Thus, she emphasized the importance of improving coaching techniques among 14- to 17-year-olds, identified as the pratama group of development.

“Today’s coaches should be able to support their athletes not only in developing technical skills on the court, but also encouraging their personal and mental growth off the court.”

She also said more female coaches were needed to support the development among female athletes, which is currently moving at a snail’s pace.

Conducive organizational support for national athletes should also be given priority according to Retno, who pointed out that “badminton organizations need to develop a friendly atmosphere among athletes, who might choose an a career outside the national training camp.”

Retno was referring to a recent row involving world No. 2 men’s duo Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan, who were told they could not participate in the China Super Series due to an administrative flaw by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) and the Jakarta-chapter badminton association.

The flaw was related to tournament prize and contract-value sharing, an issue faced by independent shuttlers that has not yet been rectified transparently.

“I believe that when we support our athletes, protect them and comfort them, they will be driven to keep improving their performance,” she said, pointing out that the Jayaraya club supports former members that choose to become independent players by not asking them for share of tournament prize money or sponsorship contracts.  

Retno began her coaching career at Jayaraya, a year after retiring from playing due to a knee injury in 1975. The club was established in 1976 by businessman Ciputra.  

The Jayaraya club’s seven coaches are currently grooming around 350 young shuttlers, 24 of whom have been provided with scholarships that include an allowance, accommodation and meals, schooling, training equipment and access to competitions.

The club has been a nursery for world-class badminton players, providing a start for the country’s first Olympic gold medalist, Susy Susanti, Athens Olympics silver medalist Mia Audina, as well as men’s doubles pair Chandra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan, who won gold in Sydney, and Beijing gold medalist pair Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan.

“Susy was an athlete with a good sense of discipline and responsibility. When we asked her to do a 20-minute stroke, she would ask to do longer,” said Retno, recalling the days when she coached Susy, the country’s badminton queen of the 90s.

“I have to admit that an athlete like her — with the complete package of great talent and diligence — is a rare find today,” Retno added.

The 68-year-old, who has spent over half of her life in and on the sidelines of badminton courts, recalled the arduous training days she had with compatriots Minarni Sudaryanto, world badminton legend Rudy Hartono and Mulyadi just to be able to go to tournaments abroad.

“Everyday, we took the public bus or biked to our training court. We brought a kettle of tea for our thirst and trained without a coach,” said Retno who paired with Minarni to win the 1968 All England event.

The pair also snatched consecutive Asian Games gold medals in 1962 in Jakarta and in 1966 in Bangkok.

“We did not receive an allowance and we eventually had to sell our rackets to fund our trips abroad,” said Retno, affectionately known as Mbak Kus.

Despite the ongoing difficulties, Retno’s generation of champions persisted at training. “Back then, it was simply our curiosity to travel that kept us going.”