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oung shuttlers have been urged to train hard in order to excel in international tournaments and help revive Indonesia’s past glory in the sport.

“I ask you to use this good opportunity by training hard. It’s the nation’s pride if you can lift up red and white in international tournaments,” National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Tono Suratman told young athletes at Djarum training center here on Wednesday.

Tono was in the town, about two hour-drive from the province’s capital city Semarang, to extend the council’s appreciation to Djarum Foundation considered to have contributed to the nation with its players still flourishing during 2012 while others failed to deliver generally.

A number of past stars, among them being Hariyanto Arbi, Eddie Hartono, Liem Swie King, Christian Hadinata, paved their way up to international fame by training at Djarum badminton club.

Although not many world-caliber players have been produced recently in the wake of the country’s declining performance in the world, the club still has Tontowi Ahmad, who won the All England in the mixed doubles pairing with Liliyana Natsir.

In the junior level, the club still has an achievement to cheer with mixed doubles pair Edi Subaktiar and Melati Daeva Oktavianti winning the World Junior Badminton 2012 in Chiba, Japan.

During the award ceremony, the pair was declared the club’s 2012 best players and were entitled to a sum of bank deposit.

Edi also won the Asian junior championship with Arya Maulana. Several other players who were called to the stage to receive the honor from the club were Ihsan Maulana Mustofa, Rosyita Eka Putri Sari, Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Rafiddas Akhdan Nugroho.

They helped the club win four titles at the recent junior national badminton championship.

For their achievement, KONI said Djarum Foundation deserved to be appreciated for its contribution to the country.

“I was honored to receive this appreciation for the first time,” Victor Hartono, the foundation’s president, said.

He added that the appreciation should be able to motivate the players to perform better in the future.

Djarum is currently grooming around 70 young players in Kudus and some 50 in Jakarta, according to the foundation’s sport program director Yoppy Rosimin.

The players have been selected through scouting and audition program.

Victor said more than a thousand player came from across the country for this year’s audition program with only 15 getting through the selection process. “We test them not only their skills but their mentality.”

Former player Lius Pongoh saw the importance for young players to instill motivation.

“They must have high motivation. When you are recruited to the training camp, you can’t totally depend on trainers. It depends on the players what they want them to become,” said Luis, who once headed development department in the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI).