It’s two different worlds in the space of a fortnight for Tony Gunawan.
The men’s doubles legend, winner of an Olympic gold and two World Championships, was in Jeonju last month for the BWF World Senior Championships 2023. Having duly won the men’s doubles 45, he’s in Spokane on the opening day of the individual event of the BWF World Junior Championships 2023 to scout talent for Yonex.
The experience in Jeonju was “fun”, he says, as he got to meet old friends and rivals. He hasn’t competed internationally since 2018, but he is closely connected with the sport; he has an academy and he’s on court through the week, and does play matches with his junior trainees frequently.
Gunawan and Howard Bach at London 2012
That brings the question – what’s the state of junior badminton in the US?
“The junior level is good, it’s pretty high,” says Gunawan without a moment’s hesitation. “Last year the US was in the quarterfinals of the World Juniors and this time we finished 10th. There are a lot of good coaches in the US, coming from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China. So there are many good coaches, and there are a lot of clubs opening.”
The problem, Gunawan explains, is at the transitional level when the players pass the junior level and go to college, where they have to choose between education and a playing career.
“When they cross over to the senior level, they don’t stick to the sport. Most of them go to college. We don’t have a national team; we don’t have a national training centre. After the players start college, it gets hard for them to attend club training. So they have to choose, and that’s pretty sad, because their level in the juniors – I don’t think it’s far away from any other country.
“It’s a number game. If you have 10 top players, you can compete with each other every day and you push each other. Then you will have one or two that can show results. But if the 10 train by themselves, how much can you improve by yourself, without anyone pushing you?”
Candra Wijaya (front) with Tony Gunawan, Olympic champions in 2000
The exception to this is Beiwen Zhang, who has made it to the top 10 solely on her own effort. But, as Gunawan points her, hers is a different case.
“Her level when she arrived in the US was already high. It’s like me, when I moved to the US, I was a former No.1, and I trained myself as I knew what to do.”
For the US, there was no better moment to seize on than Gunawan and Howard Bach winning the World Championships gold on home soil in 2005. Yet, for whatever reason, the opportunity passed. Why was the impact so muted?
“You shouldn’t ask me!” laughs Gunawan. “I was just a player; I’d resigned from Indonesia and came here to study and then I played again because the World Championships were in the US. My preparation was only for one year. So that win was very surprising. It is unfortunate that the win wasn’t followed up.”
Tony Gunawan (right) and Tri Kusharjanto after winning the World Seniors.
Yet, Gunawan is enthused about how it has all turned out in the long term.
“When I came in 2002, we only had three clubs in southern California and two clubs in northern California,” he says. “Right now, we have five-six clubs in southern California and 15 in northern California. There are lots of clubs opening, lots of coaches coming from Asia, so that’s why the junior level in the US is increasing.
“There are a lot more participants right now. When I first came, there were 60-80 kids at the junior nationals, but right now it’s 600 kids. It used to be held only on weekends, but now it’s from Tuesday until Sunday. So it’s good, it’s growing well.
“Where the players are going to go (at elite level), can they make a living as a badminton player… that’s the part that we haven’t found a solution to.”
He ponders the possibility of college scholarships that might encourage players to stick with badminton.
“Right now, in university they don’t have a scholarship for badminton. Not yet. So hopefully in the future…”
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