Indonesian badminton players well rewarded

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32352, 18 July 1970, Page 11

Indonesian badminton players well rewarded

A NEW motor car, un- “ limited duty-free spending, a government grant of three years free train travel and a week’s holiday at Singapore's Hilton Hotel—these were some of the rewards obtained by each member of the Indonesian team which recently regained the Thomas Cup,

symbol of men’s world badminton supremacy, at Kuala Lumpur. In a letter to “The Press," the president of the Canterbury Badminton Association (Mr J. B. Ewart), who is visiting Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand on his way to Expo 70. said that according to reliable sources, including the vice-president of the Singapore Association (Mr P. Bose), the victorious Indonesians had been given a welcome home that could only be emulated for the Brazilian football team.

In Kuala Lumpur, Mr Ewart visited the giant Negara Stadium, the venue of the Thomas Cup Finals, which has a capacity for a crowd of 12,000. He also renewed acquaintances with _ Mr Teh Kew Son, who ' visited New Zealand in 1968 for the invitation 'series and who captained Malaysia when it won the Thomas Cup in the controversial unfinished final at Djakarta in 1967. A magnificent collection of badminton trophies greeted Mr Ewart when he visited the home of Mr Wong Peng Soon, the manager of the Singapore team which played in Christchurch last September. His most treasured possession is the All England singles trophy which Mr Wong automatically retained after three wins in succession. In Bangkok. Mr Ewart met Mr C. Wattanasin, a leading administrator and until recently Thailand's top player. Thailand also had a controversial abandoned tie with Indonesia this year, after which the International Federation ruled in the latter’s favour. Mr Wattanasin is firmly of the opinion that all future Thomas Cup ties should be conducted by a neutral referee.