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By APD writer Maverick
**JAKARTA, Feb. 23 (APD) ** — Indonesia is aiming to secure one champion title in Men’s Double (MD) in the upcoming 2018 All England badminton tournament as the nation’s most hopeful pairing have been recovered from their injuries in recent international badminton championship in Malaysia, an official at Indonesian badminton association (PBSI) said here on Friday.
Speaking in the national badminton training center in east Jakarta, a PBSI official Susy Susanti said that the MD players Kevin Sanjaya Sukomuljo/Marcus Fernando Gideon were the most reliable players for Indonesian team in the tournament given their stable excellent performances in recent international tournaments they played in several countries and regions.
“We do hope they can maintain, or possibly to even more improve, their good condition for the upcoming tournament. We also expect our players in other groups to perform the best they can,” she said.
Susy said that results of the players’ performances in All England tournament would be used as PBSi’s references in formatting the national badminton team to vie in upcoming 2018 Thomas and Uber Cup badminton championship scheduled from May 20 to 27 in Bangkok, Thailand and in 2018 Asian Games slated in August in Indonesia.
The 2018 All England badminton tournament was slated for March 14 to 18 in Birmingham, Britain. Susy said that Indonesia would send 14 players to vie in all 5 groups contended in the world’s prestigious badminton tournament.
The Indonesian MD pairing, now is the Badminton World Federation (BWF) no. 1 players, won six championship titles in BWF’s Super Series tournaments last year, making them earned the best players award in the 2017 tournament series.
They won All England, India Super Series, Malaysia Super Series, Japan Super Series, China Super Series Premier and Hong Kong Super Series throughout the year.
The marvelous Indonesian MD players also won the recent international badminton championship held at home, 2018 Indonesian Masters, after trashed their Chinese pairing contenders in the final match.
Besides that, they also won the 2018 India Open badminton tournament held earlier this month in New Delhi.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
