Be brave: Coaches encourage remaining Indonesian team before Sudirman Cup

gnes Winarti , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 04/09/2009 12:25 PM | Sports

With the departure of some top shuttlers from the training camp, the Indonesian badminton team has been left somewhat depleted, but its coaches are telling players not to lose hope.

"I'll keep telling them to *be brave'. After all, the opponents mostly eat rice too, just like us," coach Aryono told reporters recently at the national training camp in Cipayung, East Jakarta.

The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) hasannounced the 20 shuttlers it intends to send to the Sudirman Cup, which will run in Guangzhou, China from May 10 to 17.

The lineup misses 2004 Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat and world's top mixed players Flandy Limpele/Vita Marissa, who decided to quit the national team for individual reasons.

Indonesia's chances in winning back the trophy it won in 1989 for the first and only time so far may be slim, but Aryono, mixed doubles coach Richard Mainaky and men's doubles coach Sigit Pamungkas have all told players not to lose hope.

"Without Flandy, Vita in the mixed doubles and Taufik in the men's singles, it is true that our squad is now weaker compared to the previous Sudirman Cup squad," Aryono said.

"However, if players are fit and play well, we may have a hope of get ting into the final," Richard said.

PBSI had initially mulled recruiting veteran men's doubles specialist Alvent Yulianto as a stand-in for world No. 1 pair Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan, in case Kido could not recover from his injury. But they seem to have relied on what is left of the team, half of whose members are debutantes.

"We have to prepare the younger generation for the next international events, like the Thomas Cup," Sigit said. "They deserve this *Sudirman Cup championship* opportunity because their performances are coming close to their seniors."

Indonesian squad

Men's singles: Sony Dwi Kuncoro, Simon Santoso, Tommy Sugiarto Women's singles: Maria Kristin, Adriyanti Firdasari Men's doubles: Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan, Bona Septano/Muhammad Ahsan, Rian Sukmawan/Yonatan Suryatama Women's doubles: Shendy Puspa Irawati/Meliana Jauhari, Greysia Polii/Nitya Krishinda Mixed doubles: Nova Widianto/Liliyana Natsir, Devin Lahardi/Lita Nurlita, Fran Kurniawan (reserve).