|
Favourite China on medal quest at badminton worlds
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-08-14 10:09
China will look to bolster its already formidable reputation, while Malaysia
is hoping there is strength in numbers at the world badminton championships
which begin here Monday.
China's world
number one Lin Dan celebrates a win at the Sudirman Cup mixed team
badminton championship in Beijing. China will look to bolster its already
formidable reputation, while Malaysia is hoping there is strength in
numbers at the world badminton championships which begin in Anaheim,
California Monday. [AFP] |
China heads to the 2005 International Badminton Federation World
Championships as the top seeds in men's singles, women's singles and women's
doubles.
"We will not set any gold medal quota on the team, instead we only require
them to do their best," Chinese chef de mission Liu Feng-yan said.
China will be pinning their hopes in men's singles on southpaw Lin Dan, who
is the number one ranked player in the world.
The 21-year-old Lin is coming off a disappointing loss to Malaysia's Lee
Chong Wei in the championship match of the Malaysian Open, the final tune-up to
the worlds.
The biggest challenge for Lin will come from 2004 Olympic gold medallist
Taufik Hidayat, of Indonesia, and Denmark's Kenneth Jonassen. Fifth seed Lee and
2001 worlds runner-up Peter Gade, of Denmark, are also strong contenders.
They are among the over 340 athletes from 50 countries who will compete in
the seven-day event which is being hosted by the United States for the first
time.
Competition begins at the Anaheim Pond on Monday with first-round action.
Reigning world champion and Olympic gold medallist Zhang Ning will be looking
to retain her women's singles title by holding off Chinese compatriot and second
seed Xie Xing-fang.
Athens gold medallists Zhang Jun and Gao Ling will carry China's hope in the
mixed doubles. They could be on a collision course with England's Nathan
Robertson and Gail Emms who won the silver in Athens and are seeded second in
the draw.
The crowd favourites will be Americans Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan in the
men's doubles. Last year's US Open and Dutch Open champions are ranked 12th in
the world.
Asian nations like China, Malaysia, South Korea and Indonesia are the
traditional powerhouses in badminton.
Malaysia is sending its largest ever contingent to a worlds with 21 athletes.
Their best shot at a medal rests with Lee and world number eight Hafiz Hashim in
men's singles.
Hashim will have a harder time getting to the podium as he is on the same
side of the draw as China's Lin. They could meet in the quarter-finals.
He was one of a number of athletes competing in the worlds that had problems
getting a visa to enter the US.
Hashim's visa application wasn't approved until August 6, less than a week
before he was scheduled to leave for Anaheim.
|
 | | | IAAF World Athletics Championships | | |  | | | Beijing beat Shanghai 2-0 in China FA Cup first round | | |  | | | China tie 1-1 with Finland in 23rd Universiade women's soccer | | |
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
Today's
Top News |
|
|
|
Top Sports
News |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
