A mediocre badminton force?
It was a sad end for Indonesian badminton players as they saw their opponents romp home with all titles at stake at the Djarum Indonesia Open Super Series on Sunday. For three years in a row Indonesia has failed to win any titles in the tournament it once dominated.
The last time Indonesia won titles was in 2008, with men’s singles Sony Dwi Kuncoro — who this year could not even make it into the main draw — and women’s doubles pair Lilyana Natsir and Vita Marissa.
On Sunday, Lilyana raised Indonesia’s hopes in the mixed doubles with Tontowi Ahmad, but failed to clear the final hurdles. Meanwhile, Vita and Nadya Melati lost easily to their Chinese opponents in the women’s doubles.
China, again, reigned supreme, pocketing four of five titles on offer, losing only the men’s singles crown to Malaysian world number one Lee Chong Wei.
The poor performance on home soil should serve as a wake-up call for the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) that it needs to overhaul its development programs, starting with talent-scouting, recruitment and training. Under the old method, Indonesia produced the so-called “Magnificent Seven” who were a dominant force in world badminton between the 1970s and 1980s, especially in the men’s division.
But the world has changed. The sport has gradually lost its charm in Indonesia, making it hard for the PBSI to find talents with great potential to excel.
The snail-paced regeneration has forced Indonesia to bank on the same old players in major tournaments, placing too much burden on them, while at the same time their performance is on the decline.
The All England, Thomas Cup and Uber Cup titles, to name a few, are now elusive for Indonesia as the competition has grown tighter.
Following the recent Indonesia Open, PBSI chairman Djoko Santoso promised an immediate evaluation of the national players, given the fact that this year’s tournament also served as a qualifying round for the 2012 London Olympics. Badminton became the only sport in which Indonesia had Olympic hopes after it won two gold medals in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Critics have suggested that senior players should focus on majors only, with the inclusion of some potential junior players to help improve their world rankings. It wouldn’t be a sin for Indonesia to emulate China, which sends as many young players as possible to tournaments to give them the experience they need to fill their seniors’ shoes.
Unlike economic giant China, Indonesia may face financial constraints to field a huge team, but that’s what the PBSI is for. Badminton officials must deal with the challenge to find creative solutions to finance their long-term investment development program.
With only one year left before the Olympics, national shuttlers need to focus on major tournaments, including next month’s World Championships, to qualify for London.
The responsibility should not go solely on the players. They need all stakeholders, including us, to contribute if this nation wishes to continue its gold-medal-winning tradition at the Olympics.
Beyond the Olympic dream, the full support of the public would also help prevent the badminton team from descending to such mediocre status after a long history of success.
The last time Indonesia won titles was in 2008, with men’s singles Sony Dwi Kuncoro — who this year could not even make it into the main draw — and women’s doubles pair Lilyana Natsir and Vita Marissa.
On Sunday, Lilyana raised Indonesia’s hopes in the mixed doubles with Tontowi Ahmad, but failed to clear the final hurdles. Meanwhile, Vita and Nadya Melati lost easily to their Chinese opponents in the women’s doubles.
China, again, reigned supreme, pocketing four of five titles on offer, losing only the men’s singles crown to Malaysian world number one Lee Chong Wei.
The poor performance on home soil should serve as a wake-up call for the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) that it needs to overhaul its development programs, starting with talent-scouting, recruitment and training. Under the old method, Indonesia produced the so-called “Magnificent Seven” who were a dominant force in world badminton between the 1970s and 1980s, especially in the men’s division.
But the world has changed. The sport has gradually lost its charm in Indonesia, making it hard for the PBSI to find talents with great potential to excel.
The snail-paced regeneration has forced Indonesia to bank on the same old players in major tournaments, placing too much burden on them, while at the same time their performance is on the decline.
The All England, Thomas Cup and Uber Cup titles, to name a few, are now elusive for Indonesia as the competition has grown tighter.
Following the recent Indonesia Open, PBSI chairman Djoko Santoso promised an immediate evaluation of the national players, given the fact that this year’s tournament also served as a qualifying round for the 2012 London Olympics. Badminton became the only sport in which Indonesia had Olympic hopes after it won two gold medals in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Critics have suggested that senior players should focus on majors only, with the inclusion of some potential junior players to help improve their world rankings. It wouldn’t be a sin for Indonesia to emulate China, which sends as many young players as possible to tournaments to give them the experience they need to fill their seniors’ shoes.
Unlike economic giant China, Indonesia may face financial constraints to field a huge team, but that’s what the PBSI is for. Badminton officials must deal with the challenge to find creative solutions to finance their long-term investment development program.
With only one year left before the Olympics, national shuttlers need to focus on major tournaments, including next month’s World Championships, to qualify for London.
The responsibility should not go solely on the players. They need all stakeholders, including us, to contribute if this nation wishes to continue its gold-medal-winning tradition at the Olympics.
Beyond the Olympic dream, the full support of the public would also help prevent the badminton team from descending to such mediocre status after a long history of success.
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