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Jakarta Post

Indonesia desperate to produce champions

While still basking in the success of the men’s doubles, the future still looks bleak, particularly in the women’s singles, the national badminton authority said

Irawaty Wardany (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, August 22, 2013 Published on Aug. 22, 2013 Published on 2013-08-22T12:15:37+07:00

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Indonesia desperate to produce champions

W

hile still basking in the success of the men'€™s doubles, the future still looks bleak, particularly in the women'€™s singles, the national badminton authority said.

Indonesian badminton players have shown encouraging improvements recently with three super series titles, an All England and two world titles. But the women'€™s singles have not seen as much winning action.

'€œI hope we continue to produce good seeds for the men'€™s singles and doubles. I just hope the women'€™s events follow suit,'€ Youth and Sports Minister Roy Suryo said on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 5th Yonex-Sunrise Men'€™s Doubles Championships organized by past champion Candra Wijaya.

During 2013, Indonesian shuttlers smashed victories at the Malaysia Open super series premier (men'€™s doubles Muhammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan); All England Super series premiers (mixed doubles Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir); Indonesia Open super series premier (men'€™s doubles Ahsan-Hendra); India Open super series (mixed doubles Tontowi-Liliyana) and the two pairs also won two world titles in the men'€™s doubles and mixed doubles.

The female shuttlers, although they have shown progress in the doubles as shown by Aprilsasi Lejarsar Putri Variella-Vita Marissa at the Australia Open Grand Prix, Pia Zebadiah-Rizki Amelia Pradipta at Malaysia Grand Prix Gold, have not been so successful.

Indonesian shuttlers are in the world top 10, rated by the Badminton World Federation, in all categories except for women'€™s singles.

In the men'€™s singles Tommy Sugiarto sits in 6th, men'€™s doubles Ahsan-Hendra and Angga Pratama-Ryan Agung Saputra at 2nd and 10th rank.

Women'€™s doubles Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth-Rizki Amelia Pradipta are ranked 6th and mixed doubles Tontowi-Liliyana; Muhammad Rijal-Debby Susanto; Markis Kido-Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth and Riky Widianto-Puspita Richi Dili enjoy the 2nd, 6th, 9th and 10th ranks respectively.

Badminton '€œqueen'€ Barcelona Olympic gold medalist Susi Susanti stressed that the women'€™s singles was lacking good seeds.

'€œI haven'€™t seen female shuttlers who stand out. We have Lindaweni [Fanetri] and Belaetrix [Manuputi] but they haven'€™t hit their best yet. They actually have the skills, it is only a matter of willingness,'€ she said in a recent interview with The Jakarta Post.

Former chairman of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) Subagyo Hadi Siswoyo said there were three factors that could help Indonesian badminton regain its reputation, (good) athletes and management; proper infrastructure; and logistic support.

Under his leadership, between 1997-2001, Indonesia made a gold clean-sweep in badminton at the 1997 SEA Games.

'€œI think the PBSI has provided everything including a good system to select players,'€ he said, adding that the PBSI must toughen up the disciplinary code.

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