By Jakarta Globe
Jakarta: Indonesia’s top men’s singles player Tommy Sugiarto has resigned from the national training camp, saying that he has not been able to reach his true potential in the current situation.
“It’s the best decision for me as I think I haven’t improved under my current trainer. After I leave the national training camp, I will return to my club, Pelita Bakrie, and I want to pace myself,” Tommy said on Saturday.
It’s Tommy’s second resignation from the national camp, after having left in 2010 for the first time.
Three years later, he was recalled and made a return to the national team under Joko Suprianto’s supervision.
With Joko in his corner, Tommy won the Singapore Open Superseries and reached the Badminton World Federation Superseries Finals in 2013 and finished in second place in the 2014 Malaysian Open Superseries.
But he has been on a downward spiral since Joko resigned as the men’s singles trainer in June 2014.
“Since I stopped training with Joko, something was amiss,” Tommy said.
“During the Thomas Cup, I have tried to return to my best condition. But Joko was replaced and it made me uncomfortable.”
Tommy will now resume training with his father, Icuk Sugiarto, who is a former world champion. The Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) officially confirmed that Tommy’s will be leaving the national training camp, saying that he submitted his resignation letter on Jan. 6.
The PBSI’s head of athlete development Rexy Mainaky said Tommy certainly needed a change to improve himself.
“With the competition in men’s singles getting tougher all the time, we agree that Tommy needs to make some changes to improve his technique and strategy. He has never trained with his new training regiment under his new trainer,” Rexy said as quoted by the PBSI website.
Tommy’s departure leaves one empty spot in the men’s singles team in the PBSI’s team of eight.
Other men’s single shuttlers are Simon Santoso, Ihsan Maulana Mustofa, Jonatan Christie, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Firman Abdul Kholik, Muhammad Bayu Pangisthu and Riyanto Subagja.
Rexy added that he planned to have a discussion with the coaching staff to find a replacement for Tommy.
Despite dropping out of in the national training camp, Tommy has pledged his commitment to the national team.
“If the national team needs me, I’m ready to train with them but I won’t return to the national camp,” he said.
