JAKARTA, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's prospects in next month's Thomas Cup men's team badminton championship were dealt a blow when Olympic and world champion Taufik Hidayat hurt his back last week, the Jakarta Post said here on Thursday.

    Taufik is now undergoing therapy to try and be ready for the April 28 and May 4 championship in Japan. The 24-year-old would skip the Asian Championships in Johor Baru, Malaysia, from March 28 to April 2, said the paper.

    "We don't know if Taufik will be fit for the Thomas Cup," Badminton Association of Indonesia training official Lius Pongoh was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

    Assistant coach Paulus Firman said that Taufik had an MRI on Tuesday night, after the injury first surfaced last Wednesday.

    If Taufik was unable to answer the call in Japan, the team would have to rely on second singles Sony Dwi Kuncoro, the paper added. Enditem