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Niall Donnelly

INDONESIA'S famed badminton players stand on top of the world after a success-laden year.

  The country where badminton is almost a religion swept the singles titles at the World Championships in Birmingham in June.

  Joko Suprianto took the men's title, defeating compatriot Hermawan Susanto in straight games, while the undisputed queen of the courts, Susi Susanti, collected gold in the women's singles.

  And to complete a memorable tournament for the Indonesians, Ricky Subagja and Rudy Gunawan took the men's doubles crown.

  The incredible depth of strength Indonesia boasts at the sport's highest level was amply demonstrated in Birmingham, where the country had half the eight quarter-finalists in the men's singles.

  And that achievement was made without its brightest star, tournament top seed Heryanto Arbi, who crashed out 9-15, 15-12, 15-3 to unseeded Swede Jens Olsson.

  The major threat to Indonesian dominance in Birmingham came from tall Dane Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen, strongly fancied to win his first world crown.

  Stuer-Lauridsen, playing like a potential world champion, won 15-3, 15-9 to set up a semi-final showdown with Indonesian fifth seed Susanto.

  Although both men are Olympic bronze medallists, the in-form Dane started firm favourite after his defeat of Kusuma, and he underlined his title claims by taking the first game 15-10.

  But Susanto, who had shown signs of a comeback towards the end of that first game, surged on to the attack in the second game, taking it 15-2. The third game was closer, but the Indonesian's confidence was high and he recovered from 7-10 to earn a final place against Suprianto.

  Indonesian team manager Leo Wiranata, who had seen both top seed Arbi and Olympic champion Kusuma go out, summed up Susanto's win: ''The difference is confidence. Arbi did not have it and had to cope with the pressure of being the number one seed. Susanto had the confidence.''   But Susanto's dream run ended abruptly in the face of a stern challenge from number two seed Suprianto in the final.

  Suprianto won 15-5, 15-11, going through the entire tournament without dropping a game and to become the first Indonesian since Icuk Sugiarto 10 years ago to lift the men's world singles title.

  Women's champion Susanti added the world crown to her Olympic and All England titles at the expense of her old rival Bang Soo-hyun of South Korea, 7-11, 11-9, 11-3.

  ''We are good friends off court, but on court we are both fighters,'' Susanti said.

  The Indonesian success story continued at the Malaysian Open at Kuching in July, where the country's players scored another title hat-trick.

  Susanti continued her domination of the women's game, beating Sweden's Lim Xiaoquing 11-6, 11-2 to claim the only major title that had eluded her in a glittering career.

  In the men's singles, it was the turn of Olympic silver medallist Ardy Wiranata, seeded third, to grab the limelight, beating top-seeded Arbi 11-15, 15-5, 17-14 in a thrilling final to capture his first title of the year.

  All-England champion Arbi had looked set to cruise to another title after winning the first game, but the spirited Wiranata came back strongly and capitalised on a series of unforced errors to take the second.

  In the deciding game, Arbi led 12-8 but the more experienced Wiranata clawed his way back to 14-14 and quickly seized the next three points to clinch his first tournament since the Indonesian Open the previous August.

  The Indonesian hat-trick was wrapped up when doubles specialist Subagja teamed up with Rexy Mainaky to defeat home favourites Cheah Soon Kit and Soo Beng Kiang 15-7, 15-5.

  The year had begun well for Arbi, who, at 21, is considered to be the most outstanding young player in his country's powerful array of talent.

  Arbi confirmed his arrival on the international scene with a thrilling victory over training partner Suprianto in the prestigious All-England men's singles championship in London.

  Arbi, the top seed, recovered from a second game lapse to beat the second-seeded Suprianto 15-7, 4-15, 15-11.

  Predictably, the women's All-England title was claimed by Susanti, with South Korea's Bang again her unfortunate victim.



Top stars continue to court success