ACOG - News - IBM

(30 July 1996; Day 11)

Indonesia Unlikely to Repeat 1992 Olympic Badminton Performance

Indonesia's Mia Audina hits a return to South Korean Kim Ji-Hyun during their Olympic badminton men's semi-final match 30 July in Atlanta. Audina won 11-6, 9-11, 11-1. (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) AFP/IOPP/Toshifumi KITAMURA. Hundreds more images available daily in Photo Album.

In 1992 at Barcelona, Spain, Indonesia took home five Olympic badminton medals, three in the men's singles competition. The Indonesians were expected to repeat that success. Now, they only have five chances at medals, and only one is in men's singles.

In 1992, the Indonesians won two gold medals, in men's and women's singles, and two silvers. In these Olympic Games, only two Indonesian competitors are in the finals, the men's doubles team of Rexy MAINAKY and Ricky SUBAGJA and women's singles player Mia AUDINA. Neither of the 1992 gold medalists, Susi SUSANTI nor Allan BUDI KASUMA are in contention to repeat their Olympic titles. BUDI KASUMA is no longer a medal hopeful.

Second-seeded SUSANTI, Indonesia's top women's singles player, will continue to fight for another medal. But this time the color is only bronze.

SUSANTI lost a hard-fought match to Korea's BANG Soo Hyun, 11-9, 11-8. BANG, seeded third in the tournament, gained the early lead in both games. In each, she quickly lost it to SUSANTI. The lead changed hands four times in each game. In the first game, neither player led by more than 3 points. In the second game, that margin was just 2 points.

"BANG played better than I did," SUSANTI said. "I was prepared for this match. I got a good night's rest and discussed the match with my coach. We have played each other so often, we know each other's strengths and weaknesses."

SUSANTI's heir apparent, 16-year-old sensation AUDINA, has taken up her country's hopes for the gold medal. AUDINA defeated Korea's KIM Ji Hyun, 11-6, 9-11, 11-1. KIM never even held the lead in the two games AUDINA won.

In men's doubles, two teams are in the running for medals -- MAINAKY and SUBAGJA, Indonesia's best hope for the gold in the finals, and ANTONIUS and Denny KANTONO in the playoff for the bronze medal.

"We are ready for the final," SUBAGJA said. "It doesn't make any difference who we play. The important thing is to be fully concentrated from the start."

The lone men's singles medal hope for Indonesia, third-seeded Heryanto ARBI, lost his chance at gold Tuesday afternoon when he lost in the semifinals to second-seeded Poul-Erik HOYER-LARSEN of Denmark, 15-11 15-6. He will meet Malaysia's Rashid SIDEK in the bronze medal match on Wednesday.

"I was lost from the beginning," ARBI said. "It was really difficult to beat him."

Despite having fewer players in the finals, Indonesians still have hope to continue their badminton success. AUDINA perhaps summed up her team's goals best, saying, "My first priority is to win the game and hear the Indonesian national anthem played in the hall, and to bring my country's name to the forefront."

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Deana A.G. Monahan.


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