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Jakarta Post

Indonesia fails to make finals, PBSI carries burden

Boasting the largest contingent of shuttlers does not win a tournament, neither does playing in front of a home crowd

Dicky Christanto (The Jakarta Post)
Mon, June 6, 2016

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Indonesia fails to make finals, PBSI carries burden

B

oasting the largest contingent of shuttlers does not win a tournament, neither does playing in front of a home crowd.

Indonesia, with its team of 44, learned this valuable lesson at the 2016 BCA Indonesia Open badminton tournament recently. Not one player made it through to the final round. Considered Indonesia’s last hope, men’s singles player Ihsan Maulana Mustofa was defeated in the semifinals on Saturday.

Despite big-talk, this represents the fourth consecutive year Indonesia has failed to reach the finals, following Simon Santoso’s men’s singles title win in 2012. This translates into a huge burden for the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) ahead of the August’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Team manager Ricky Subagdja voiced his disappointment over the result.

“We had expected the doubles teams would contribute medals. We were confident they were up to the task,” Ricky said, while discussing the reality that Ihsan had been the only one to reach the semifinals. Ihsan lost 21-9, 21-18 to 2016 Indonesia Open champion Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia.

World number two in the men’s doubles, Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan were upset by the world number nine team, Mads Conrad-Petersen and Mads Pieler Kolding, in a second round rubber match.

Mixed doubles’ pair, ranked world number two, Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir, was also ousted in the second round by qualifiers Kim Astrup and Line Kjaersfeldt of Denmark.

Ricky promised to look at his squad thoroughly after the tournament in Jakarta.

The country’s favorite women’s doubles team, ranked world number two, Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari, blamed their second round oss to Vivian Hoo Kah Mun and Khe Wei Woon of Malaysia, currently ranked number 20 in the world, on their unfit condition.

The pair admitted that they had been easily provoked by the Malaysians, resulting in a puzzled mental state which cost them their strategy.

It was the young players who stood up and made their way to the quarterfinals.

Jonatan Christie and Ihsan in men’s singles; Tiara Rosalia Nuraidah and Rizki Amelia Pradipta as well as Anggia Shitta Awanda and Ni Ketut Mahadewi Istirani in the women’s doubles; and Alfian Eko Prasetyo and Annisa Saufika in the mixed doubles.

Jonatan, who trashed Lin Dan of China in a second round straight match, fought bravely against world number five Jan O. Jorgensen of Denmark, before losing in a rubber.

Greens Alfian and Annisa lacked confidence when facing world number one Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei of China in the quarterfinals, bowing out of the tournament after losing.

“We were too focused on winning. When we realized what was wrong, it was already too late,” said Alfian.

The 20-year-old Ihsan earned a compliment from Lee, currently ranked world number three, who described his playing style as similar to legendary Indonesian player Taufik Hidayat.

“Ihsan is a good young player. He fights aggressively, just like Taufik. In the next one or two years he is likely to be one of the world’s top ten badminton players,” said Lee.

Taufik won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

PBSI chief Gita Wirjawan said he appreciated Ihsan’s performance, commenting that Lee was far more experienced.

On the bright side, PBSI spokeswoman Yuni Kartika claimed that regeneration of badminton in Indonesia was ongoing, regardless the lack of an Indonesian presence in the finals.

“We were happy to see how our young players began to make a name for themselves, defeating some of the top seeded players,” she told The Jakarta Post, citing young women’s singles players like Fitriani and Gregoria Mariska.

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