Indonesian badminton legend Richard Mainaky said there are quite a lot of potential badminton athletes in Eastern Indonesia, but there are still very few tournaments.
"We admit that for the past 10 years, we haven't been looking for talented players from eastern Indonesia, even though there are many talented badminton athletes," he said in Makassar on Thursday.
Richard Mainaky revealed that the potential of badminton athletes in Eastern Indonesia is actually very abundant, but their development is often hampered by the minimal number of prestigious tournaments and competitions in the region.
He acknowledged that over the past decade, the process of recruiting talent from the eastern region had been stagnant, even though superior talent was spread widely across various corners.
Richard emphasized that the main problem faced by young athletes in the region is the lack of competitive platforms.
"This is our focus going forward, along with our partners, on how competitions and tournaments can enhance the athletes' experience," he said.
According to him, a high frequency of tournaments is crucial for building tactical insight and mature competition experience for a badminton player.
Without sufficient flying hours through regular competitions, it is difficult for regional athletes to hone their skills to the same level as their peers at the training center.
"Through this audition, PB Djarum is committed to not allowing athletes from Java to monopolize the sport, but rather aims to provide equal opportunities for potential talents spread across the archipelago, including Eastern Indonesia," he said.
