We are always ready to welcome them and right now..."
Semarang (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has put its badminton teams scheduled to participate in the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup championships in India, on May 18-25, on quarantine in Kudus, Central Java, for a special program.

Chairman of the Djarum Kudus Badminton Club Yoppy Rosimin remarked here on Tuesday that the mens and womens teams will be quarantined for 10 days during April 15-25, before conducting practice at Stritex Arena in Solo, also in Central Java, followed by an outing in Bogor early in May.

"We are always ready to welcome them and right now, I am also just waiting for the arrival of some players in Semarang before taking them to Kudus," he noted.

He stated that all the training programs will be carried out in quarantine, and the coaches will be appointed by the National Training Center. Djarum Kudus will be in charge of handling the facilities.

He clarified that 42 out of the 44 players will be put under quarantine in Kudus, including Sony Dwi Kuncoro, Dionisius Hayom Rumbaka, Muhammad Ahsan, Hendra Setiawan, Angga Pratama, Ryan Agung Saputra, Berry Anggriawan, Ricky Karanda Suwardi, Belaetrix Munuputi, Adrianti Firdasari, Maria Febe Kusumawati, Liliyana Natsir, and Greysia Polii.

"Simon Santoso is not part of the group that will arrive today. Perhaps, he will first return home after taking part in the Singapore Open," he reported.

In the recent Singapore Open 2014, Simon surprised everyone by beating world number one player, Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia, to become the champion.

According to the official website of the All Indonesia Badminton Association (PBSI), while in quarantine, the players will undergo training at the Jati Kudus Sports Hall, which has 17 courts.

They will not only undergo common programs, but also special programs, in order to prepare themselves for the championships, including counseling by psychologists for ensuring their mental readiness.

PBSI General Chairman Gita Wirjawan is scheduled to give his directives during his visit to the quarantined players on Wednesday.

"The preparation for the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup group championships starts after the Singapore Open 2014. By being quarantined, it is hoped that the players will be more focused on their training programs and preparations for the events," Gita asserted.

"Quarantine, practice, and outing are all part of the programs that we have charted out in order to ensure that the participating teams will be well-prepared before leaving for New Delhi in mid-May," he added.

"The Thomas Cup and Uber Cup are among the PBSIs milestones for 2014. The championships are the most prestigious events, and PBSI will prepare its athletes in the best possible way by providing the necessary programs, nutrition, and training facilities," he stated.

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Reporting by Hernawan Wahyudono

(H-YH/INE/a014)

EDITED BY INE



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