MANILA, Philippines—The Filipino badminton player has a lot of potential, but lacks the basics so vital in the sport.

Former Indonesian national champion and multi-titled player Rudy Gunawan made that observation Tuesday, a month after conducting a summer clinic for young Filipino players.

“Filipinos have a very good chance of becoming world champions, they have many potentials,” said Gunawan, who’s handling the Allied-Astec camp in Club 650 in Libis, Quezon City. “If only they could find very good coaches.”

Gunawan, brother of Indonesian icon and Olympic gold winner Susy Susanti, said badminton “belongs to Asians” and the Filipinos can also excel in the sport.

He is staying in the country until the end of May as part of an Astec (Alan-Susy Technologies) plan to come up with a badminton academy in Jakarta.

“We’ll open up the academy this year, and hopefully we can have a satellite here in your country,” said the 39-year-old Gunawan, former Poland and Finland Open champion, who is now a coach.

Gunawan, speaking through his interpreter, Fr. Aloysius Batmyoimle, has singled out two Filipinos who will get scholarship to the academy—Malvin Anne Venice Alcala, 12, and Gelita Castillo, 13.

Until the academy is put up, Alcala and Castillo will undergo training at the prestigious Jaya Raya Club, Indonesia’s top-tier girls badminton club which produced world and Olympic champions like Susy.

Gunawan said Alcala and Castillo “are already Indonesian-caliber.”