Maria to skip All England due to injury

Following the withdrawal of men's doubles pair Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan, women's singles shuttler Maria Kristin Yulianti has also decided to skip the All England Super Series due to injury.

"Maria will not go to this year's event. Her *right* knee injury has prevented her from playing," team manager Lilik Sudarwati said Wednesday on the sideline of the national squad's farewell ceremony at the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) training camp in Cipayung, East Jakarta.

The squad will depart for Birmingham on Friday. The All England, the world's oldest badminton tournament, will take place from March 3 to 8.

Maria, the 2008 Olympics bronze medallist, complained of a nagging pain in her right knee during training on Feb. 19. The pain subsided after intensive medical observation, but returned on Wednesday.

Earlier, Kido and Hendra, the 2008 Olympics gold medallists and world No. 2, pulled out of the tournament after Kido suffered a left knee injury.

With three of its top shuttlers out, Indonesia still has three men's doubles pairs (Yonatan Suryatama Dasuki/Rian Sukmana, Bona Septano/Mohammad Ahsan and Joko Riyadi/Candra Wijaya) and two women's singles players (Pia Zebadiah Bernadet and Adrianti Firdasari) for the tournament.

PBSI chairman Djoko Santoso expressed hope the national squad would perform its best.

"Just stay focused and play. I will be responsibility to the government and the public should we lose. But if we win, it will be the result of everyone's hard work," he said.

He added he had high hopes in the country's mixed doubles pair, world No. 1 and 2008 Olympics silver medallists Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir, saying, "I also hope we reach the final in the men's singles and women's doubles."

Two-time world champion Lilyana said she would not let the high expectations pressure her.

"I will let the game flow and stay focused in each match. It's what we always do at every tournament, especially in a major like the All England," she said.

During their career, Lilyana and Nova have reached two semifinals and one final at the 110-year-old All England.

In the men's singles, Indonesia will rely on world No. 5 Sony Dwi Kuncoro, world No. 7 Taufik Hidayat, world No. 10 Simon Santoso and unseeded Tommy Sugiarto. It will be the first campaign for Taufik, the 2004 Olympic champion, after he resigned from the national training camp last month.

World No. 8 women's doubles pair Shendy Puspa Irawati/Meiliana Jauhari and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari/Greysia Polii will also be competing at the tournament.