Susi Susanti Predicts Indonesian Women's Singles Won't Be Easy To Get A Gold Medal At The 2021 SEA Games

Indonesian women's singles, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung. (Doc. NOC Indonesia)

JAKARTA - National badminton legend, Susi Susanti, predicts that the Indonesian women's singles will have to fight hard to bring home a gold medal from the 2021 SEA Games Hanoi. Susi said that for now the strength of badminton, especially in women's singles, is in the Asian region.

Thus, the representatives of Indonesia clearly have a very tough challenge when facing the Hanoi SEA Games later.

"For Indonesia, of course, we need extra hard work to at least get a medal," said Susi as quoted from the Indonesian Olympic Committee (NOC) website on Wednesday, April 20.

In the women's singles sector, Indonesia has been fasting for a gold medal since the last time it won at the 2013 SEA Games. At that time, Bellaetrix Manuputty defeated Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan to become the champion.

Susy said, to be able to end the gold medal drought this year, Indonesia had a steep road. The reason is that there are representatives from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand in the event.

"Our female players are not as many as the male offspring. The regeneration of players is also not as good as in the boys, especially in the men's doubles. That's why until now in the women's sector, we still haven't shown the expected achievements," said Susi.

Unlike the men's singles sector, women's singles will lose full power at the Hanoi SEA Games later. The name of the mainstay Gregoria Mariska was also dispatched with the rising star Putri Kusuma Wardani.

For this year's edition, PBSI targets to bring home three gold medals, namely from the men's team, men's singles and men's doubles. The women's singles and women's doubles sectors have not been a mainstay.