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INDONESIA: THE GREAT SUSI TO RETIRE; JOKO TO COACH

July 20, 1998 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Susi Susanti, one of badminton's best-ever women players, announced yesterday that she will be retiring from competition at the end of this year or early next year. Susanti, who has won countless badminton titles including Indonesia's first Olympic gold medal in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain and who has also led her country to two world women's team championships, plans to have a baby and start a family after her retirement from competition.

Susanti is married to teammate and fellow Olympic gold medalist Alan Budi Kusuma. The couple who are heroes to their countrymen were wed last year in one of Indonesia's top social events of 1997.

According to a member of the Indonesian badminton association, Susanti will try to capture the only title that has eluded her - the Asian Games women's singles - in December this year in Bangkok. The Asian Games or the World Grand Prix Finals scheduled for January 1999 may be her last tournament.

Another of Indonesia's badminton heroes, 1993 world men's singles champion Joko Suprianto, retired last month after helping his country in a successful defense of the world men's team championship. Suprianto is now training to be a coach and will be on the staff of the Indonesian national badminton training center in Cipayung.

Suprianto got married last month to teammate Resiana Zelin, one of the top women's doubles players in the world. Unlike Suprianto though, Zelin will continue to compete for Indonesia.

(dsimmons)