Indeed....the rise of the independent players this year marks one more channel professional badminton players from INA can still compete at a high level and win titles, despite their departure from the National Team. It also marks the comeback of several players already being marked previously as no-hopers, like Fransiska Ratnasari (who decided to go to Djarum on her own accord early this year) and Luluk Hadiyanto/Joko Riyadi (esp. for Joko, who's still only 23/24 yo and he only won his first GP title yesterday!). With other professional clubs also on the rise (eg: PB Mutiara Bandung), it's hoped that we can see other emerging players being sent to regional tourneys next year! The composition of INA's players competing in various tourneys next year: 1. Pelatnas main team (core group of at most 18-20 players) 2. Pelatnas second team (back-up players of roughly the same number). 3. Pratama team (emerging young players with age limit of 18-19yo). 4. PB Djarum (mainly MS and WS, and perhaps some emerging doubles players). 5. Independent players (Taufik, AG/Alvent, Luluk/Joko, Vita/Mona, Nadya/Devi, AG/Vita, Flandy, Candra). 6. Players from other professional clubs
A Vietnam Open SS makes more sense than the Singapore Open SS or HK Open SS... Vietnam's population is going to reach 100 million one of these days. Singapore and HK population [and thus badminton market potential]?!? The 'independent' era should have started 20 years ago... but many PBSI officials in the past succumbed to Yonex's unreasonable demand whereby INA players who were dropped out of the National Team have no more future as an Indonesian player. Because they HAVE to wear Yonex and no other brand... despite not being paid by Yonex.
Olympic champions receive houses The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 10/14/2009 3:02 PM | Sports Indonesian Olympic gold medal winning duo Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan each received on Wednesday a house from their club owner Ciputra, a renowned real estate businessman. Ciputra handed over the houses in Permata Bintaro in Tangerang, Banten, to the badminton men’s doubles players, who salvaged Indonesia's medal tally in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Their victory kept Indonesia in the gold-medal-winning club. “I've often dreamed of owning a house. Now the dream has come true,” Hendra said as quoted by Antara. He was happy to receive house number 25, the date of his birthday. Kido said he would not move to the new house anytime soon. “I will stay in the dormitory [for national elite players] in Cipayung as I am not yet married,” Kido said. The doubles team hailed from the Jaya Raya club, which had also produced Olympic champion Susi Susanti and the men’s pair of Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan. Today 21 club players are trained at the national badminton development camp in Cipayung, East Jakarta.
^^Not quite..^^ ..he's saving the best for last.. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61258
Good news. Hopefully more and more athletes will be rewarded for their achievements. It's public secret that INA gov't isn't paying enough attention toward athletes' welfare, especially after they retire. Again, old music plays: where does the money come from? I read somewhere that a former Asian Games gold medalist is so poor that s/he has to sell his/her gold medal just to support his/her living. Seeing this condition, no wonder less and less INA parents allow their children to become athletes. A great nation is a nation that honor their heroes' deeds, they say. Please, no more Ellyas Pical in the future.
I am of the opinion that we should forget about comparing ourselves to other governments that support athete's welfare after they retire. It is improbable it will happen like that. Just forget it laahhh... We [INA] should just compare ourselves to other big democracies like the USA on how they manage their athlete's welfare. As far as I know: the US government gives nothing to retired athletes like Carl Lewis [athletics], Mark Spitz [swimming], Billie Jean King [tennis], Cassius Clay a.k.a. Muhammad Ali [boxing], etc. As far as I know, really nothing. They should earn as much as possible and increase their savings to the max during their youth. What we can learn from the US is the commercialism and sports-business aspects... What makes the athletes earn so much while they're so productive... We may not be able to duplicate everything, but we can learn from their good points. Especially on managing fans and enhancing personal appeal and the appeal of the intended sport/game ! Those are the fundamental building blocks of an athlete's prosperity.
All CHN players withdrawn from Denmark Open SS Though the tourney will be far less interesting, But i guess our chances to grab title(s) is gettin bigger, rite? What do you think?
Time to 'sundul' this thread. So... Mr. Andy 'Nice Moustache' Mallarangeng is pointed as the Minister of Youth and Sport in the newly-formed United Indonesia Cabinet Part II. Let's hope he can do something... positive to INA sport, badminton to be specific.
First test is result of upcoming Laos SEA Games whether INA contingent can reach the target (#3 at medal-standing) or not...
Nearing End of 2009, goddess of victory tends to show her smile more often to team INA. Simon delivered 1 title, his first SS title ever, in Denmark. Hopefully we will hear more good news from Paris next week. Considering CHN team will come, it'll become even tougher. But, again, who knows?
INA squad had bagged 3 SS title thus far in this year through Nova/Lilyana (MAS SS), Kido/Setiawan (JPN SS) and Simon Santoso (DEN SS). Who's next? We'll see INA players outcome in Paris, Hongkong and Shanghai as the last three SS installments.
We have some hope in Paris... I think it is quite likely we can get one title there too... Maybe in MD... Hong Kong and Shanghai will be tough places for INA to get any title this year... Very tough!
Why is that... I think HK and Shanghai is where MK/HS did best... Even better than SEA. One possible reason: Chinese MDs, as everyone else, do better on home ground. As a consequence, MK/HS are more likely to meet pairs from China in HK and Shanghai. Finally, we all know what usually happens when Chinese MDs meet MK/HS...
Heh, true, but they need to pass that info to the rest of the MD squad. Rian/Yoke and Bona/Ahsan haven't done well against china's MD. Rian/Yoke seemed to be in an upswing though, while Bona/Ahsan is kinda stuck in neutral. Will Alvent/Hendra AG participates in those 2 super series?