As the national badminton team was fighting to defend the titles of the Thomas and Uber Cup in Hong Kong in May 1998, there was one single thing that haunted the minds of Team Indonesia’s members.  

It was not so much their competitors in the tournament that bothered them, but rather the unlikely situation at home where riots targeting Chinese-Indonesians erupted in several regions in Indonesia, peaking between May 13 and 15. 

The team, including men’s singles shuttler Hendrawan, faced a challenge to their morale with the ugly situation in their home country, which hindered them from focusing solely on the tournament held from May 15 to 24.   

Hendrawan, who acted as the second player of the men’s singles category after Hariyanto Arbi in the team competition, conceded that the squad was not in its best form and would struggle to even reach the podium.  

Surprisingly, the Indonesian men’s team beat Malaysia 3-2 in the Thomas Cup final to bring home the trophy. Meanwhile, the women’s team finished as the runner-up in the Uber Cup after losing 4-1 to China. 

“Looking at our condition, mentally and physically, it was hard for us to win the title,” Hendrawan said during the 50th anniversary of badminton club PB Djarum in Kudus, Central Java recently. 

“However, all the players and management had the goal that, maybe, by defending the Thomas Cup, we could somehow give comfort to the country and show to all that we are a strong nation despite out differences,” added the current coach of Malaysian star shuttler Lee Chong Wei. 

The 2000 Sydney Olympics silver medalist recounted that while competing in Hong Kong, his wife Silvia Anggraeni, who was still his girlfriend at that time, was in danger as she lived in Menteng, Central Jakarta, which had been surrounded by a mob.  

Hendrawan revealed that Silvia’s vulnerability worried him the most, saying if he could he would’ve had flown back to Jakarta to make sure she was alright.   

“She lived in a boarding house in Menteng and at that time she could not go out of her room for three days as the mob had besieged the area. She was not prepared for the situation. She survived just by eating instant noodles,” he said. 

“I think it would be understandable if we lost [the 1998 Thomas Cup] as we were not in our best form. But we were motivated to give our best for the country,” he added. 

Full power: Indonesia’s Heryanto Arbi returns a shot against Malaysia’s Ong Ewe Hock in the Thomas Cup men’s final at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong on May 24, 1998. Arbi lost to Ong 14-18, 7-15.(AFP/Frederic Brown)

The nightmare did not end there as the riot at home brought other consequences during their stay in Hong Kong.  

Hendrawan recalled that the squad was nearly kicked out of their hotel after the team’s management had trouble paying the bill. He said Indonesian credit card holders had been denied performing transactions at around the time the riot took place.   

Badminton observer Broto Happy, a former sports journalist, said that team manager, the late Agus Wirahadikusumah, calmed the squad by guaranteeing the safety of their families in Jakarta.  

“Pak Agus at that time also made a hotline in the team’s hotel room in Hong Kong where players could contact and check on their families at home,” Broto told The Jakarta Post of the team manager who was a retired military lieutenant general.

The success of the Indonesian men’s team in winning the Thomas Cup was celebrated back at home. Kompas newspaper carried the headline “Republik Indonesia Masih Ada” (Indonesia still exists), in relating to the team’s win.

Sport observer Djoko Pekik Irianto said the team Indonesia victory showed that athletes at the highest level had mastered the ability to be tested in any circumstances, including when they were pressured by external factors like what happened during the 1998 tournament. 

Broto said the victory was a reflection of the country’s motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) as the team, powered by players of various backgrounds, focused on the greater good instead of differences.  

Echoing the same sentiment, Hendrawan said the 1998 victory was important to be remembered especially given the country’s ongoing political turmoil. “The motto unity in diversity is easy to say but [the fact is] it’s hard to implement.”