http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2010/1/21/sports/5516019&sec=sports “I am so used to stiff competition among the players in the national team,” said Shixian, who trains under her mentor and former Olympic and world champion Zhang Ning. “In fact, it is a motivation for me to do better in their company. There are six good players in the team and it will be great if I can win a place in the Uber Cup team.”
^^Oh my gawd..^^ ..for a second i thought you were going to inform us that LinDan won't come to the T&UC!..
If CHN selects 4 WS players, I think they're likely to be WL, WYH, WSX and LL. That's a pretty stacked team. Wang Xin and Ah Jiao will probably be the unfortunate ones.
January 21, 2010 Ami Afriatni PBSI Calls In Big Guns for Thomas and Uber Cups If there was any doubt as to the importance of the Thomas and Uber Cups, the latest move by the Indonesian Badminton Association should provide more than sufficient proof. With no title in the world’s top team tournaments since 2002, the association, also known as the PBSI, plans to call in Indonesia’s best shuttlers, including those who have walked away from the national team. Indonesia has a record 13 Thomas Cup titles, but it has not won the men’s tournament since 2002. The Indonesian women last won in 1994 and 1996, the only hiccup in China’s run of titles since 1984. “It’s a mixed team between the national players and former ones, including Taufik Hidayat and Alvent Yulianto Chandra,” the PBSI’s head of athletes’ development, Lius Pongoh, said on Thursday. Asian qualifying begins in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on Feb. 21-28. The finals take place on May 9-16 in Kuala Lumpur. Lius said the PBSI registered 20 names with the World Badminton Federation. However, he refused to disclose the full list and was reluctant to reveal whether Indonesia’s best men’s doubles pair, Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan, was in the squad. The PBSI needs the country’s best shuttlers because of their high ranks and experience in top-flight tournaments, Lius said. Taufik is fourth in the world men’s singles rankings. Alvent and partner Hendra Aprida Gunawan are ranked sixth in men’s doubles. Indonesia’s team will assemble following the Malaysia Open Super Series, Lius said. The men’s team lost in the semifinals despite hosting the 2008 Thomas Cup, while the women lost to China in the 2008 Uber Cup final. Badminton *taken from theJakartaGlobe.com -- http://thejakartaglobe.com/badminton/pbsi-calls-in-big-guns-for-thomas-and-uber-cups/354109
^^Hmm..^^ ..what can i say...sounds like PBSI is a bit desperate with the plan..What's their target by bringing the ex-Pelatnas players back? Final? Semifinal?..
Well, even if TH lost all his matches, his holding the first single spot makes things much much easier for Sony and Simon. Similar to the situation in 2006 Thomas Cup.
Obviously such strategy is less useful against opponents who have more than one or two good players. But this strategy is very effective during the preliminary stage in 2006 if I remembered correctly.
^^So..^^ ..no trust or confidence with their current Pelatnas players??..with the way things (lack of regeneration) are going, they could be calling the ex-Pelatnas players back for the next 2-3 Thomas/Uber Cups..
Latest news on INA's T&UC squads.. ..confirmed squads: http://thejakartaglobe.com/badminton/indonesia-announces-thomas-uber-cup-squads/354332
The benefit of having TH as 1st singles (on paper -- disregard any personal issues that may arise): SDK and SS will have much higher chance winning as 2nd and 3rd singles. And TH is not a bad choice against the 1st singles of Denmark/Korea, as welll as China (Whoever the 1st single is, he will lose to LD anyway). For example, against China, would you prefer TH vs LD, SDK vs CJ, SS vs BCL/CL or SDK vs LD, SS vs CJ, TS vs BCL/CL?
Since you asked, my choice.. ..is the latter. Yes, even if they lose. Preferring the former over the latter doesn't guarantee they will win over CHN either. And that's the bottom line. If INA fail to bring back the Cup, and then what? This is like going back to last yr's mini little discussion on who should PBSI send to represent the Sudirman Cup? Should they call back Taufik, Candra, Vita to bolster their team or should they move on and groom their younger players? Well, apparently they're taking 1.5 steps back. In all, there's really nothing for them to gain by sending the ex-Pelatnas players. And should they fail this yr, in 2 or 4 or 6 yrs time, are they going to recall & send Taufik and the ex-Pelatnas players again?
Malaysia may have to pin Thomas Cup hopes on men’s doubles http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2010/1/26/sports/5543730&sec=sports hmm i dont think ong/hoon will get impresive result in the upcoming tournament yes they should get a few chance after beaten lee/jung but,result will speak in future anyway
Yes, they need to maintain their 'consistency'. Like for example: they beat jung/lee in the 1st round of mas open, but ended up losing to a japanese pair in the following round
To me it's very simple. If you care about the Thomas cup, bring up your best players. Doesn't matter whether they are in the national team or not. Actually I don't see any benefit using young players who are not already good enough. As I said before, LD and BCL played such tournaments when they were <20 years old, not because they were young, but because they were already among the best in China.
Short term gain or long term gain??.. - Of course, every team, other than team CHN, which makes it to the Final Rd. care abt winning the Thomas Cup. The question is, realistically, what are their chances, even if they bring back the ex-national team players or not? If indeed you suggest to bring back the best players, heck, why not bring back Candra and Sigit? I'm sure they still can play and probably whip the younger INA MD pairs who made the team. That way INA will have 2 strong MD pairs. All they need to do is steal 1 pt from the MS (if they can). And if they fail to bring back the Thomas Cup?..then what?? keep calling Taufik til he's in his late 30s?.. - So, if you don't see any benefit using young players who are not already good enough, then tell us which young players (for both INA Thomas & Uber Cup squads) who made the team are ready? How many of the young players, who made the team, do you think are ready? When do you really think INA young players (MS) will blossom and become world challengers like TH or Sony or Simon? 2 or 4 or 6 more yr? Personally, sorry to say, but i don't think there will be one for a few yrs. (some say and are hoping Hayom would be one to challenge, but we've yet to see any major results).. You don't see any benefit? How abt the benefit of learning and gaining invaluable exposure (esp. in a team type competition) needed for the young players. The benefit of them playing & getting their feet wet, as early as they can, outweighs them of not playing.
Well, first, Candra and Sigit, honestly speaking, definitely cannot be any stronger than any of the current INA MDs. Second, my opinion is, if you don't have it, you don't have it. No matter how much exposure you receive/how experienced you are. Examples abound: Simon, Persson, KBH, ... Finally, to me, a young player is ready if the only thing he lacks is experience. It's not necessary that he is already a world class player (like LD, BCL, TH when they were young). But he has to be able to pose a serious threat to the old guys when he plays well (Which, of course, may not happen often for an inexperienced young guy).
My feeling is.. ..(and no, this is not a prediction, or if it may sound pessimistic) INA Thomas Cup squad will not get the Thomas Cup back this yr., even if they use the ex-national players or not. It'll be the same result & that's my bottom line. Unless baddy fans like ye33 simply wants to see the "has been" Taufik run around and wield his racket (come on, ye33, you can be frank abt wanting to see Taufik play as your main reason). Thus, if that's the case and end result, why not roll out and play the younger, inexperienced players like Tommy & Hayom. Nothing to lose and imo, the young players will benefit more in playing than not playing. If i were PBSI, i'll take out Taufik and let Tommy and Hayom compete & fill in the last spot (let them play as 2nd/3rd Singles, in any group matches just to see their capability in a team event). After all, they are supposedly the "future" MS players for INA, correct?.. So, please tell us, how many of the young players who made the squads are ready? And when will they be ready?
January 27, 2010 Ami Afriatni Taufik Says Team Unity Key to Taking Thomas Cup Talent and motivation are all well and good, but Taufik Hidayat believes promoting solidarity is the most important thing for teams going into international competitions such as the Thomas Cup. Taufik would know, having represented Indonesia in the biennial team tournament five times since 2000 and helping it lift the trophy in 2000 and 2002. The bond between players, he said, makes the team stronger. “It can be done, let’s say, by practicing together. Any effort that might keep up the solidity among us, both on and off the court, will help,” the 28-year-old shuttler said on Wednesday. Making that dream a reality could be hard. Several squad members, such as Taufik, Markis Kido, Hendra Setiawan and Alvent Yulianto Chandra have left the national team camp based at Cipayung, East Jakarta, to play professionally. Taufik, who now trains at Bantong Badminton Hall in Cijantung, said he would not mind returning to the national squad if the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) made an official request. That has yet to happen, however. “As of today, I have yet to even receive official notification from the PBSI saying that I’m part of the [Thomas Cup] team, though I know my name has been registered with the [Badminton World Federation],” he said. “I don’t mind because I’ve promised to play if they need me. But still, they have to make it official.” ------- *Read completely through theJakartaGlobe.com -- http://thejakartaglobe.com/badminton/taufik-says-team-unity-key-to-taking-thomas-cup/355261
