It’s Their Moment in the Spotlight

It will take more than a few quick flicks of the wrist to build badminton into a sport that is played and watched with the same level of intensity in the U.S. as it is in many Asian countries.

But Tony Gunawan and Howard Bach are working on it.

“To bring up the level of badminton here is my goal,” Gunawan said. “It’s popular here, but it’s a backyard sport.”

There will be no lawn chairs or barbecues in sight when Gunawan and Bach, the most accomplished U.S. men’s doubles team, step onto the court representing the country’s best hope for a medal in the 2005 International Badminton Federation World Championships that begin Monday and run through Aug. 21 at the Arrowhead Pond.

Both players said they believe a strong performance in the world championships, which are in the U.S. for the first time, will go a long way toward garnering the interest and respect of a largely untapped fan base, one that reaches beyond the boundaries of Gunawan’s native country of Indonesia and Bach’s birthplace of Vietnam.

Attendance at major badminton events in such places sometimes approaches the Pond’s seating capacity of 17,174 for hockey.

“Most Americans know what badminton is. They just don’t know it in-depth, how intense or competitive it can be,” said 26-year-old Bach, a resident of Orange. “This is Tony’s and my opportunity, to capitalize, to be ambassadors of the sport. It’s a window of opportunity, and we’ve got to take it.”

Badminton made its Olympic debut in Barcelona in 1992. At the 2000 Sydney Games, Gunawan, then competing for Indonesia, won an Olympic gold medal in men’s doubles with former partner Candra Wijaya.

That year, Gunawan and Wijaya also won gold at the Taiwan Open, the Japan Open, the Indonesia Open and the Thomas Cup.

The Thomas Cup was the IBF’s first major event, in 1948, and served as the sport’s first world championships. Badminton and its popularity have grown since then, nowhere more than in China and Indonesia, which have won 70% of all IBF events.

Since Gunawan’s move to the United States in January 2002, the U.S. team has benefited from his experience and success. Bach, a U.S. citizen, joined Gunawan after partner Kevin Han retired. Han, a three-time U.S. Olympian, competed in singles for most of his career, spending only the last three years in doubles.

“Having Tony there just kind of reassures me,” Bach said. “He is pretty much my partner and coach on the sideline when we’re discussing things in between points or games, and also like a big brother too. I’m in good hands.”

Gunawan, in fact, was appointed a coach in USA Badminton’s High Performance training program for elite players, and has served in that capacity under and alongside the U.S. team’s head coach, Ignatius Rusli.

“The other players, they want to be like Tony,” said Rusli, a former member of the Indonesian national team. “Tony is very cognizant of his responsibility. He is always here, and in a game, we always know he’ll be there.”

Although not yet a U.S. citizen, Gunawan, a Fullerton resident, will be able to play for the U.S. in the World Championships thanks to an IBF representation waiver granted to USA Badminton on his behalf.

The U.S. has never won a medal in the Olympics or world championships, and despite Gunawan’s presence, achieving that this week is not a given.

“It’ll be really tough,” said 30-year-old Gunawan, who also won a men’s doubles gold medal at the 2001 world championships. “We can lose to all the top players. But the good news is, I think we can also defeat them.”

Gunawan is lightning-fast, making him an excellent frontcourt player. The backcourt belongs to Bach. The pair won the 2004 U.S. and Dutch opens last year.

“It’s always a learning experience every time I step on the court with Tony,” Bach said. “I have the desire to push myself, but having Tony there just kind of reassures everything. It just kind of puts me on the map.”

Gunawan and Bach could do the same for badminton in the U.S. this week.

“Even though I came here, I cannot get away from badminton,” Gunawan said with a laugh. “I’m really lucky.”

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Badminton

Facts and figures on the world badminton championships, to be held this week at the Arrowhead Pond:

* When: Monday-Aug. 21.

* Local connection: There are 11 Southland residents among 15 U.S. qualifiers in a field of more than 300 players from 50 countries.

* Players to watch: Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan, ranked No. 13 in the world in men’s doubles, are considered this country’s best hope for a medal. China has top-seeded players or teams in three of five events, including the No. 1 men’s singles player in the world, Lin Dan, who will be trying to rebound from a first-round upset loss in the 2004 Olympics, and the top-seeded women’s singles player in Zhang Ning. Olympic women’s doubles champions Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen of China are top-seeded and will be challenged by two-time world champions Gao Ling and Huang Sui.

* Tickets: Individual tickets start at $8 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and the Arrowhead Pond box office, or by phoning (714) 740-2000.