[font=Helvetica, Arial]Mulyo stays in training center, says Icuk [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica]Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica]Taufik Hidayat's Olympic glory has prompted the national badminton training center to retain the champion's coach, Mulyo Handoyo, in what appeared to be an abrupt change in policy, given that Mulyo had initially been excluded from the center's coaching roster.[/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] Head of development affairs at the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) Icuk Sugiarto, who also supervises the national training center in Cipayung, East Jakarta, confirmed on Monday that Mulyo would remain as Taufik's personal coach. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] "We are now thinking of expanding Mulyo's authority to train other men's singles shuttlers, not only Taufik, because it will be such a waste if he's only coaching Taufik in the future," Icuk said. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] His statement appeared to be a departure from his previous plan to revamp the national training center's management, including reshuffling the coaching teams. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] The reshuffling plan was to appoint Indra Gunawan the coach of men's shuttlers, Hendrawan for women's shuttlers, while men's doubles would be trained by Christian Hadinata, women's doubles by Atik Djauhari and mixed doubles by Richard Mainaky. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] The plan would have cost Mulyo his post. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] "We never planned to replace head coaches at Cipayung. We still need a lot of good coaches who are willing to train shuttlers either there or in other regions," Icuk said. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] While declining to expound upon his new plan, Icuk said the PBSI would focus more on regional training centers as part of the association's development plan. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] He said the current Cipayung coach roster would be wiped clean after September's National Games in Palembang, and that only Mulyo and Joko were confirmed as of now to remain on the roster. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] "We expect Mulyo to create new Taufiks and Joko to cultivate young talented shuttlers like Sony Dwi Kuncoro," Icuk said. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] Taufik won the gold medal after defeating Shon Seung-mo of South Korea in the men's singles final, while Sony, who trained under Joko, contributed a men's singles bronze. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] The Indonesian badminton squad won another bronze, courtesy of doubles team Eng Hian/Flandy Limpele. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] Mulyo said he would let the PBSI decide what was best. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] Icuk underlined there no Cipayung coach would be let go as of yet. [/font] [font=Arial, Helvetica] "People who are still coaching at Cipayung will not be fired, as we still need them for our development program. Ideally, we would like one coach to train four or five shuttlers," he said.[/font]
Agree. And it dispels the notion that it you need one coach to concentrate on just one player. Because Icuk thinks one coach should look after 4 to 5 players so as not to waste resources. But I guess flexibility is still necessary depending on circumstances.
This problem of allocating resources to get maximum benefits is ageless. Sometimes, it simply cannot be done because of politics, like the repurcussions of Taufit winning the gold medal. Resources are finite, and for every dollar spent on increasing the ratio of coaches to players at the top level, it simply means a dollar less at the village level, which serves as the source of new badminton talent. But the village kids' voices are easily drowned out by Big Brother's needs. Icuk Sugiarto is now singing a different tune, simply because the alternative would have him check-mated. He therefore retreats to fight another day, if it ever comes. This is what life is about. Pragmatism, adaptability, and survival in a constantly changing environment will rule the day. But at what price for the future? But if you don't compromise to survive, what future do you have? I am not taking any position here. My intent here is to look at things from as many angles as possible.
And maybe part of Taufik's Olympic success has to do with the fact that he has had a personal coach, with no other players to cater for?
.. and about Ronald susilo, mulyo was his coach no? i heard they are very close together ... Maybe this will affect him no? ...
No, not normally, this was during Mulyo's sojourn in Singapore he was credited for a lot of Ronald's improvement, since being back in Indonesia I believe he's only been coaching Taufik seriously.
Good decision. Taufik really needs Mulyo very very much. Without Mulyo, Taufik was a lost boy, just like 'anak ayam kehilangan induk.' I respected Mulyo for his decision to back home to Indonesia last February, even though the PBSI couldn't afford to pay him as much as the Singapore did. By the way, I am so glad to find this great forum. I have read so many stuffs in this forum about the Olympic. I try to catch up what I missed. I am still mad at those 11 stupid TV stations of Indonesia. :-(
Like I have said before, Icuk is a talk-active. Before the Indonesia team goes to Athens or After he gets a "position" in PBSI, he said so many things that make many players and coaches confuse. For example : Sack the trainers, forbid the players to stay in their own house, etc, etc..... And now after Taufik get a gold, he said that Mulyo may stay, and no trainer will be sack, etc...etc...... I am agree with Seven : "Let's now just wait and see before we can judge Icuk's work."
