Jakarta. Far from the spotlight, Tommy Sugiarto caused a huge upset after defeating Lin Dan of China in the first round of the BCA Indonesia Open 2015 at Gelora Bung Karno Istora in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Tommy won 19-21, 21-8, 21-16 over the world number two in an hour and 17 minutes at the $800,000 badminton tournament.

“After the draw, people saw me as an underdog when they knew I would play Lin Dan in first round. And I proved myself with this win that I can beat Lin and nobody will take me lightly,” Tommy said in the post-match press conference.

It was tight from the start and Tommy lost the first game by two points. He kept his composure in the second game and tried to bounce back.

Tommy played it cool before taking an early 4-1 advantage. He continued to control the game and cruised on to a 21-8 win.

In the decider, Tommy trumped with an 8-0 advantage. But Lin refused to give up and fought back as he cut the deficit to 16-14.

Tommy remained calm and focused. As Lin’s return was ruled out of bounds, Tommy raised his fists while the crowd cheered him on.

“I anticipated from the start whether I would win or lose, I was ready to play all-out,” Tommy said.

“I saw that Lin couldn’t keep up with my game in the second. I thought he got tired. I tried to keep my focus in third game and try not to finish the game in a hurry.”

“It’s good to beat Lin, but it’s still a long way to go. I will play tougher opponents in the second round.”

It was quite the comeback for Tommy after leaving the national team earlier this year. He said he had struggled since leaving the national training camp.

“The situation is completely different. In Cipayung [the national training camp], everything is provided [by the federation]. Now, I’m training with my club and I find it hard to get training partners,” he added.

“But I get full support from my family, especially my parents. They keep motivated me though I have to cope with limited resources. I will keep fighting for my country, Indonesia.”

The post Tommy Sugiarto Causes Huge Upset at BCA Indonesia Open appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto started their campaign at the BCA Indonesia Open 2015 with a 21-16, 21-17 win over Mark Lamsfuss and Isabel Herttrich of Germany in Wednesday’s first round at Gelora Bung Karno Istora in Jakarta.

“It’s a good start for us. We adapted with the court, especially the wind direction. Basically, we’re preparing ourselves for the real test tomorrow,” Debby said as quoted by badmintonindonesia.org.

In the second round on Thursday, Praveen and Debby will play fourth seeds Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christina Pedersen of Denmark.

It will be a replay of last year’s second round when the Indonesian pair lost 16-21, 21-16, 21-11.

“Last year, we played them also in the second round and we lost. For tomorrow, we want to show our best game as we play in front of the home crowd,” Debby added.

The Indonesian pair has yet to win over their rivals in five previous encounters.

“I really hope we can break the duck this year. We’re focusing on our own game and we can’t afford to lose our focus. If we lose focus just for a moment, they will take their chance,” Praveen said.

Another Indonesian pair, Andrei Adistia and Vita Marissa, also advanced into the second round after beating Americans Phillip Chew and Jamie Subandhi, 21-12, 21-18, to set up a clash with fifth seeds Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin of China, who beat Jacco Arends and Selena Piek of the Netherlands, 21-15, 21-13.

The post Praveen, Debby Set Their Sights on Second Round of Indonesia Open appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. The Tahir Foundation in partnership with the NBA on Thursday launched the Jr. NBA Tahir Foundation Scholarship in Jakarta, in an effort to support youth basketball in Indonesia.

The scholarship program will be integrated into the Jr. NBA Indonesia — the league’s global youth development program — and will provide financial support to Indonesian students and special training for basketball coaches.

“NBA and Tahir Foundation share a commitment to giving back to the community we’re operating in and we believe in the importance of fitness and education and of course the game of basketball,” NBA Asia managing director Scott Levy said during Thursday’s press conference.

“We’re honored to partner with Tahir Foundation, an advocate for positive social change and an active contributor to the Indonesian community.”

The program will provide $1,000 scholarships to 20 participants from Jr. NBA Indonesia presented by Frisian Flag to support their education needs.

Five coaches will be awarded coaching scholarships to reward their on-going commitment to the sport’s development and their impact on the community.

Participants are asked to submit a 150-word short essay describing how they best exhibit at least one of core values of the Jr. NBA — sportmanship, teamwork, positive attitude and respect.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges from both the NBA and Tahir Foundation.

Co-chairman of the foundation, Jonathan Tahir, said his foundation and the NBA share the same vision and the partnership will help young Indonesians in their education.

“NBA is a global enterprise and we’re honored to work together with them.”

“Through the basketball program, we can put our focus on children’s health and fitness. And the scholarship will help the children to get a better education,” Jonathan said.

The Jr. NBA Indonesia was launched in late March and 64 children from the selection programs, scheduled on Aug. 22-23, will be chosen to attend the national training camp.

The post NBA, Tahir Foundation Launch Scholarship for Young Players appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. Lee Westwood survived both the weather and a playoff against Chapchai Nirat to win his third Indonesian Masters at Royale Jakarta Golf Club on Sunday.

The two-time champion went into the final round of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters presented by Enjoy Jakarta with five-shot advantage, but he only managed to fire one-over 73 and seven-under 281 in total after the 18-hole regulation.

Playing in front of Westwood, Nirat threatened the Englishman after making a late charge with four birdies in back nine.

Westwood had a good chance to win in the regulation but he missed a birdie at the last hole and went into the playoff.

“Every win is very special to me. But to come to this tournament and win it three times is obviously extra special,” Westwood said during the post-tournament press conference.

“I’ve never been beaten around this golf course which is great; this win will give me the confidence for the year ahead.”

Former world number one Westwood made a shaky start in the front nine, hitting two bogeys in four and seven. He made a quick recovery with three birdies in 10, 11 and 13. But, two bogeys in 16 and 17 cost him an early lead.

“It was all pretty good until 16, where I hit a poor second shot, pulled it a little bit and went through the back. I chipped back and missed from about six feet.”

“I hit into the rough on 17, hit a good shot and chipped to about four feet but missed that as well. It was a tough putt coming into the hill over on the 18, [I] misread it slightly and hit to about five feet and missed,” he said.

“But fortunately in the playoff, I hit it into the exact same spot, I knew the line and it was a nice straight putt for the win,” he added.

As Nirat missed his first putt in the playoff, Westwood putted with full confidence to hit a birdie and win the tournament.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Thai golfer, but he took it as a great experience.

“When I started out, I told myself a top-three finish would be fantastic, considering how good Lee has played this week,” Nirat said as quoted by Asiantour.com. “Getting into the playoff was a bonus and I’m very proud of myself despite the defeat,” he said.

“I managed to sort out my putting this week. And, that’s important as it’ll help the long season ahead.”

The post Westwood Beats Back Nirat to Win Indonesian Masters appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and Chan Shih-chang of Taiwan sank seven birdies apiece for a six-under 66 and a share of the first-round lead at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters golf tournament on Thursday.

Bjorn, a 15-time European Tour winner, put himself squarely in contention for his  first Asian Tour title at the Royale Jakarta course in Halim, East Jakarta.

He made birdies on the 10th and 12th holes, but slipped up with a bogey on the  14th, before recovering with another birdie at 16.

On his back nine, the 44-year-old Dane charged the course with four consecutive birdies from holes two to five.

“I played pretty solid and I got onto a nice run on my back nine, which kind of brought the round to a really good score,” Bjorn said. “It’s a great golf course and it does suit my game pretty well. There are lots of opportunities but also lots of tough holes. It’s a nice mix there and you’ve got to focus really hard and not let your guard down.”

Playing under good weather, Chan made four birdies on the front nine, followed by another three birdies and one bogey on the back nine.

“This is my first start on the Asian Tour and also my second visit to the Royale Jakarta Golf Club. As such, I’m pretty proud of how I’ve played today,” said the 28-year-old.

“I won four times on the Asian Development Tour and am really serious about winning on the Asian Tour now.”

“I feel very comfortable on this golf course and that partly explains why I did well today. Of course, I’ve been hitting the ball and putting well too.”

Abhijit Chadha of India and Australian Park Unho were tied for third after firing five-under 67.

Two-time champion Lee Westwood of England seemed to struggle under sometimes blustery conditions, though he still managed to card a decent round with a three-under 69 to finish the day tied for seventh.

Ian Andrew led the charge of local golfers with an even par 72. He started out promisingly with three birdies, but then racked up five bogey, before closing out with two birdies on the back nine.

Local hero George Gandranata, widely expected to do well because of his familiarity with the course, had a day to forget after hitting a seven-over 79.

He got off to a poor start with three bogeys and one birdie, then carded five more bogeys on the back nine.

“It was a tough day because I struggled with the strong wind. I also didn’t play well and made late adjustments that led to this result,” George said.

He added that he also made bad judgments on several holes that cost him several chances for birdie and par on the back nine.

George said he would play aggressively today to make up lost ground.

“If I manage to get a four-under, I’ll finish the day with three-over, and I hope that will be enough to make the cut. It’s achievable,” he said.

The post Bjorn, Chan Lead at Indonesian Masters appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. The Jr. NBA is returning for a second year to Indonesia, with the NBA’s vow to help to develop basketball talent and popularity in the across the archipelago.

The program tipped off on Saturday with a clinic for coaches at Senayan Trade Center, followed by an open clinic on Sunday for children at Cilandak Sport Center, both in South Jakarta.

Jim Wong, senior director of marketing partnerships for NBA Asia, said the league’s global grassroots development program encourages children to lead an active lifestyle — and not just by playing basketball.

“First of all, we encourage the children to be active in sports. So, if you’re active in other sports, such as football or badminton, please continue to do that,” Wong said on Saturday. “The program will encourage children to pick up basketball, because we believe children will play more than one sport. So, we hope through the popularity of our
program here that basketball is going to become more popular among Indonesian children.”

The program, which is sponsored by Frisian Flag, will run until August and aims to reach more than 3,000 children in its second year.  Participants are trained in the fundamentals of basketball and learn the importance of the Jr. NBA’s core values of sportsmanship, teamwork, a positive attitude and respect.

Last year’s events drew great interest, which the organizers expect to grow this year, Wong added.

“Looking at the popularity of our program last year, we’re going to exceed last year’s [numbers]. So we’re confident that not only are Indonesian children really excited about basketball, but they’re also excited about the program.”

“We have lot of confidence and believe the Jr. NBA program has a long future in Indonesia.”

After the program’s tip-off over the weekend will be a selection camp from Aug. 22-23 for children ages 10-14, at which  64 participants — 40 boys and 24 girls — will be selected to attend the National Training Camp from Aug. 28-30.

At the National Training Camp, the 64 selected players will train under supervision of the Jr. NBA’s head coach; 14 players — 10 boys and four girls — will be selected as the Jr. NBA Indonesia’s All-Stars, and will be sent abroad on a trip for the “NBA Experience.”

The program will also bring in active and retired NBA players as guest trainers. Last year, the program featured multiple NBA champions Horace Grant and A.C. Green.

The NBA launched the program in six Asian countries last year to develop the sport throughout the region.

“We have this as our core program to develop basketball throughout Asia,” Wong said.  “We believe by coming to these markets and offering this type of program — and, of course, with support from our partners, local basketball federations and local government — everyone is aligned to build a program that gives back to the community, and gives children the opportunity to join that which they may never have had the opportunity to do before.”

“It’s going to give children and coaches an opportunity to learn something they may not have learned with the current system. And, ultimately when they learn, they hopefully take their learning and keep it in the system.”

“We want to help to grow basketball in the community in Indonesia. We’re going to leave it up to local entity to continue the momentum,” Wong added. “But, the NBA hopefully to give it a kickstart a little bit to build some of that momentum.”

Part of that kickstart has come with the help of sponsor Frisian Flag.

“Good nutrition and active lifestyle are extremly important … The Jr. NBA is encouraging an active lifestyle … [and] what they do is to train how to behave and play in a teamwork. Those are important things in our life,” said Marco Spits, president director of Frisian Flag Indonesia.

The post Junior NBA Returns to Form in Indonesia appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. Organizers of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters golf championship have taken a page from the more illustrious tournament held in Augusta, Georgia, to roll out their own jacket to be presented to the winner of the Jakarta event from this year on.

Fashion designer Didiet Maulana was given the honor of designing the jacket, and went casual with his use of tenun ikat, a traditional woven fabric from East Nusa Tenggara.

“I’m very happy and proud to be involved in this event as I have the great opportunity to introduce Indonesian heritage through sport,” Didiet said at a press conference on Tuesday to unveil the jacket.

He explained there was a philosophical aspect to the jacket, with each sheet of tenun used taking about six months to weave on a traditional hand loom.

“From that point of view, I want to show that there’s a process for everything, including sport. We can’t make star [athletes] in an instant,” Didiet said.

“I opted for this traditional woven fabric as it has more natural and earthy colors while also having a simple pattern. The colors will match with any skin color. So I picked a safe color and a pattern that reflects Indonesia’s uniqueness.”

Compared with the iconic green jacket of the US Masters, the Indonesian Masters prize has a more casual design, including a zipper rather than buttons, with Didiet saying he wanted to create something completely new and not in the mould of another design.

“I took a more casual design as I want to create something different. Golf fans have become used to seeing the original green jacket. So I made it more casual with this comfortable fabric,” he said.

“I hope people will notice the jacket as it’s wore by the champion [of the Indonesian Masters]. And with its unique fabric and design, people will definitely ask him about the jacket. So it will also give an introduction to Indonesia.”

Meanwhile, the organizers received a financial boost this year by welcoming the Jakarta Tourism Board and Jaguar Indonesia as new sponsors.

The tourism board has, through its Enjoy Jakarta program, supported many golf events in recent years, but this is the first time it is putting money behind the Indonesian Masters.

CIMB Niaga vice president James Rompas said he hoped the partnership would boost the image of Indonesia, and Jakarta in particular, as a prime golf tourism destination.

“We hope we can increase our efforts to promote Jakarta and Indonesia and show that we have good international tournaments and good golfers,” he said.

He added the introduction of a champion’s jacket would be “very interesting.”

“I hope it can attract more spectators.”

The post An Indonesian Twist on a Winners Jacket for Masters appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.