Taufik Hidayat, Candra Wijaya Lament No Merah Putih Flag Hoisting at Thomas Cup

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two former badminton athletes, Taufik Hidayat and Candra Wijaya, lamented that Indonesia could not fly the national flag of Merah Putih in the 2020 Thomas Cup while hoping that the problems with the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) would be resolved soon.

Taufik, who brought the Indonesian team to the 2002 Thomas Cup, said that Indonesia's victory was somewhat incomplete. Nevertheless, he praised the mentality of the players and coaches who were not bothered by the issue.

“I'm sure they already know this condition, but it's good that they are not affected. Let the country think about this issue,” Taufik told Antara.

Indonesia's national flag did not fly at the Ceres Arena, Aarhus, Denmark last Sunday night as the country was declared non-compliant in the doping test by WADA.

Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali also expressed regret, stating that the BWF took the decision on its own without consulting with Indonesia. He opined that BWF should not decide that as the government was making clarifications to WADA.

Candra Wijaya who also helped Indonesia’s team to win the 2002 Thomas Cup said the incident was embarrassing. “It is ironic that the Merah Putih flag could not be hoisted when celebrating the Thomas Cup victory. It’s such a shame,” he said.

During the celebration of the 2020 Thomas Cup on stage, the Merah Putih flag was replaced with the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) flag even though the national anthem Indonesia Raya was being played. The Thomas Cup finally returned to Indonesia after 19 years of waiting.

Read: Indonesia Sweeps China to Claim 14th Thomas Cup Title

ANTARA