Tony Gunawan could not compete for the USA at the Beijing Olympics 2008

[chris-ccc]

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Greetings,

The hope of winning a Mens Doubles Gold Medal for the USA is dashed.

From The New York Times

The U.S.’s Great Indonesian (and Vietnamese, and Laotian) Hope

June 19, 2008, 2:33 pm
By Duff Wilson

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/olympics/badmint533.jpg
Bob Malaythong, left, and Howard Bach of the U.S. Olympic badminton team. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Tony Gunawan, the 2000 gold medalist in badminton for Indonesia, moved to California in 2002 to study computer science and coach. Gunawan, considered perhaps the greatest doubles badminton player of all time, teamed with Howard Bach in 2005 to win America’s only world championship in the sport.

But Gunawan is ineligible for the Olympics, where citizenship rules forbid him from competing. Gunawan didn’t get his green card until 2006. It takes three to five years after that to get U.S. citizenship.

So the world championship team split up before the Beijing Olympics, and Bach went looking for another partner.

“Howard is a U.S. citizen and needed to find a new partner,” Gunawan said in a phone interview. “That’s why we split.”

Bach, born in Vietnam and raised in California, found Khan “Bob” Malaythong, a native of Laos who grew up in Maryland. Malaythong is rated lower than Gunawan, but he has the key credential: Malaythong has been a U.S. citizen since 2006.

“It was very good for USA Badminton when he did get his citizenship,” a USOC spokesman, Cecil Bleiker, said in a phone interview. Even so it will be tough for Bach and Malaythong to advance far in the Olympics, where other countries, mainly from East Asia, are dominant in the sport.

Fortunately for the Americans, Olympic rules limit the dominant countries. “Thailand may have 12 teams that are in the top 12 in the world, but they may only send 2 teams,” Bliker said.

Gunawan, meanwhile, may not be able to get citizenship until 2011, when he will be 36 years old. He has not decided whether to naturalize. “I’ll see how it goes — I’ve got four more years to decide,” he said.

Asked what the U.S. could do to improve its performance in arguably the world’s second most popular sport, Gunawan said, “We need more foreign presence in the sport to make the sport level go up.”


For the link: click here (http://olympics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/badminton-the-uss-great-indonesian-and-vietnamese-and-laotian-hope/) .

Cheers... chris-ccc
:):):)
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[Dato A]

Gunawan make a mistakes by migrate to US.

Just go to join SBA, sure he will get his citizenship in a very fast way and no need to wait until 2011.

[jimbo]

Gunawan make a mistakes by migrate to US.

Just go to join SBA, sure he will get his citizenship in a very fast way and no need to wait until 2011.

:eek::p:D u havent kena hamtam huh? :p:D

[Oldhand]

[...]Tony Gunawan, the 2000 gold medalist in badminton for Indonesia, moved to California in 2002 to study computer science and coach. Gunawan, considered perhaps the greatest doubles badminton player of all time, teamed with Howard Bach in 2005 to win America’s only world championship in the sport.
[...]
IMHO, that's a strong statement :eek:

It's also quite strange that the New York Times is now an authority on badminton.

No doubt Tony is one of the greats... but it's hard to mark him up as the greatest of all time :cool:

[Cheung]

IMHO, that's a strong statement :eek:

It's also quite strange that the New York Times is now an authority on badminton.

No doubt Tony is one of the greats... but it's hard to mark him up as the greatest of all time :cool:True but this is American style :):p

However, I do like the picture. It's very cool.

[kwun]

agree. the photo is awesome.

Tony already knew all along that he cannot represent the USA. and that's the reason why he didn't partner with Bach for the whole of the Olympic qualification year.

[ctjcad]

...the news actually has been mentioned/brought up a few times already in BC..

[Dato A]

:eek::p:D u havent kena hamtam huh? :p:D

Doesnt matter kena hantam. It's only my myopic opinion, according to someone here...:D:D:D

[samuel882]

Asked what the U.S. could do to improve its performance in arguably the world’s second most popular sport, :eek:Gunawan said, “We need more foreign presence in the sport to make the sport level go up.”
when did badminton turns outt be second most popular sport in the world :eek: :rolleyes:

[olympic]

Asked what the U.S. could do to improve its performance in arguably the world’s second most popular sport, :eek:Gunawan said, “We need more foreign presence in the sport to make the sport level go up.”
when did badminton turns outt be second most popular sport in the world :eek: :rolleyes:

Ha ha...how we wish it could be...in the dream:p.

Fortunately for the Americans, Olympic rules limit the dominant countries. “Thailand may have 12 teams that are in the top 12 in the world, but they may only send 2 teams,” Bliker said

...and when did Thailand become the dominant country in badminton?:eek::rolleyes:

[CLELY]

Since USA gold-priority sports are swimming plus track & field, it doesn't deliver big impact whether they have no chance in badminton.

[olympic]

It's a waste we can't see Tony in action at Beijing.He is a very good player.

[SibugiChai]

.

Tony Gunawan, the 2000 gold medalist in badminton for Indonesia, moved to California in 2002 to study computer science and coach. Gunawan, considered perhaps the greatest doubles badminton player of all time, teamed with Howard Bach in 2005 to win America’s only world championship in the sport.

Fortunately for the Americans, Olympic rules limit the dominant countries. “Thailand may have 12 teams that are in the top 12 in the world, but they may only send 2 teams,” Bliker said.

.

TG the greatest? Maybe la but still consider a statement with sense but THAILAND 12teasm in TOP 12... WOWwww that show the BLIKER doesnt know anything! He might be still thinking OLYMPIC BADMINTON is played in the GARDEN BACKYARD! :D

[Dato A]

TG the greatest? Maybe la but still consider a statement with sense but THAILAND 12teasm in TOP 12... WOWwww that show the BLIKER doesnt know anything! He might be still thinking OLYMPIC BADMINTON is played in the GARDEN BACKYARD! :D

Who's the sochai Bliker is?

[llpjlau]

i think Bliker may have been using it as a rough example only.

[chris-ccc]

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:D:D:D Hahaha ... I posted the article with this main point, that for the USA, Tony Gunawan and Howard Bach could not play together in the Mens Doubles. Actually if they could, they might get a chance to win the first Badminton Olympic medal for the USA.




It's also quite strange that the New York Times is now an authority on badminton.

No doubt Tony is one of the greats... but it's hard to mark him up as the greatest of all time :cool:






True but this is American style :):p






Tony already knew all along that he cannot represent the USA. and that's the reason why he didn't partner with Bach for the whole of the Olympic qualification year.



At least the New York Times remembers that Tony Gunawan and Howard Bach were once World Champions. But the more important thing is that Badminton gets a mention. I am sure that many American readers would be asking, after reading the article, "What the hell is Badminton?". :D




Asked what the U.S. could do to improve its performance in arguably the world’s second most popular sport, :eek:Gunawan said, “We need more foreign presence in the sport to make the sport level go up.”

when did badminton turns out be second most popular sport in the world? :eek: :rolleyes:



The journalist is probably thinking of the populations of China and Indonesia. :D:D:D




It's a waste we can't see Tony in action at Beijing. He is a very good player.



This is also one of the main points... It is a pity that Tony will miss out participating in the Beijing Olympics 2008. :(:(:(




i think Bleiker may have been using it as a rough example only.







Who's the sochai Bleiker is?



:D:D:D The USOC spokesman, Cecil Bleiker, would not know as much about Badminton as our members here at Badminton Central.

:):):)
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[dse5001]

Badminton is the most popular sports in the world because most of the most polulated country play this sport. Not for USA who knows Badmintotn is the backyard game. If Tony wants to get his citizenship I think the US goverment should consider it, since he played for US team last year and won the medal. However, there's a lot of story behind the paper that we never knows about it, don't we?

[demolidor]

:D Yes it is proven once again: reading is hard

It says: "...considered perhaps the greatest .." which is more or less the same as one of the greatest isn't it or arguably the greatest.

As for the 12 Thai teams: ever heard of an example? :p It says "may have" not has, it could just as well have said Vietnam or any other East-Asian country. It could even have said USA since it was only an example to say no matter how many top pairs you have you still only get to send 2 :p.

[chris-ccc]

As for the 12 Thai teams: ever heard of an example? :p It says "may have" not has, it could just as well have said Vietnam or any other East-Asian country. It could even have said USA since it was only an example to say no matter how many top pairs you have you still only get to send 2 :p.



.
:D:D:D Just minutes ago, I posted a comment on the Beijing Olympics in another thread.

I thought I would cut and paste it here.

====== * ====== * ====== * ====== * ====== * ====== * ======

In each event there shall be at least one player/pair from each of the five BWF Continental Confederations.

In the Womens Doubles, please find the number of pairs from each confederation listed below:
Africa ................. 1
Asia ................... 1+10
Europe ............... 1+1
Oceania ............. 1
Pan America ...... 1

From the above list, you can see how Asia dominates Badminton.

====== * ====== * ====== * ====== * ====== * ====== * ======

:):):)
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[yen_saw]

Can Tony still represent Indonesia for Olympic? Is he still holding Indonesia passport?

[huangkwokhau]

Can Tony still represent Indonesia for Olympic? Is he still holding Indonesia passport?
...he is holding INA passport....he is just a US resident for now....but for last 2 yrs, he represents US so in order to represent INA, he needs another 2 yrs....by that he is too old to play for INA or he becomes US citizen, he will be too old to play also......;)

[yen_saw]

...he is holding INA passport....he is just a US resident for now....but for last 2 yrs, he represents US so in order to represent INA, he needs another 2 yrs....by that he is too old to play for INA or he becomes US citizen, he will be too old to play also......;)

Ah bummer:( Tony and Candra been pairing up often and doing well, it is ashame they cannot represent Indonesia in Olympic. His experience will definately be a good help for Indonesia to get a gold in MD this coming Olympic.

[huangkwokhau]

Ah bummer:( Tony and Candra been pairing up often and doing well, it is ashame they cannot represent Indonesia in Olympic. His experience will definately be a good help for Indonesia to get a gold in MD this coming Olympic.
There is one thing you should know why Tony left INA for USA at that time...I cant spill too much here..
It is true..they hardly get together but still playing so well..most of time, they practice together at Djarum Jakarta.
Recently Candra had been asked to train Japanese pairs for Olympic preparation with Park Joo Bong.

[ctjcad]

..somewhat "spilled" in another thread(s), a while ago, which i don't recall off the top of my head, at least the gist of it...;)