Sports experts sounded the urgency for the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) and coaches to engage with the psychological aspect of its proteges to help revive the country’s badminton glory.

“Although the development of an athlete revolves around physical and technical issues, I believe that psychology plays a more dominant role,” PBSI head coach Christian Hadinata told The Jakarta Post last week.

“With strong mentalities, athletes will be driven to constantly improve their motivation in competitions and maintain discipline in trainings,” Christian said, adding that good technique and physical fitness do not hold without a strong mental state.

Christian, who was the country’s top shuttler triumphing the All England, the World Championships and Asian Games throughout the 1970s and 1980s, cited himself as an example.

“My physical health was not so strong, but I persisted.”

Or as the country’s living legend of badminton from the 1958 era, 73-year-old Tan Joe Hok, puts it: “We become champions when we can beat ourselves.”

Christian and Tan were speaking regarding efforts to revive the country’s badminton glory on the international stage. Indonesia has long been a badminton powerhouse in the world, but signs of decline are apparent.

At the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Indonesia took home two gold, two silver and one bronze medal in badminton. The country has, however, failed to win more than one gold medal in an Olympic Games ever since.

Its decline is apparent at other noted international events, the first and the last time Indonesia won Sudirman Cup was in 1989, while the Uber Cup was last taken home in 1996 and the Thomas Cup in 2002.

The country’s current top singles shuttlers have failed to follow in Susy Susanti’s glory in 1994, or emulated Hariyanto Arbi’s 1996 triumph when they each won the All-England Championship.

According to Christian and Tan, only serious efforts to nurture the players’ mental states could, in the long run, reignite glory.

Although, Christian acknowledged that some coaches might regard psychological development not a part of their job description.

“To be frank, some coaches are resistant to be involved in the psychological development of their proteges. They are more concerned about technical and physical development issues.”

He said that being a coach involves both physical and mental aid.

“It is high time that coaches understand their role, which includes providing physical and technical training, as well as advancing their psychological health,” dean of the Tarumanagara University Monty P. Satiadarma, also chairman of the Indonesian Sports Psychology Association, told last week’s public symposium, titled “Bringing back the glory of Indonesian badminton”.

The mental development of athletes cannot happen overnight. Badminton coaches need to collaborate with psychologists to make it happen. Tarumanagara University offered to assist the PBSI by collaborating with their psychologists, as it did in the period of 1967 to 1995.

“Psychologists in the training center must constantly observe and support athletes,”

M. Enoch Markum in his paper wrote that elite athletes normally face fear of failure and stress at the center due to intensive training, being away from their family and friends and pressure.

There are currently 77 elite athletes, consisting of 38 senior shuttlers and 39 junior athletes, groomed at the PBSI national training center in Cipayung, East Jakarta.