Chinese male shuttler Bao Chunlai assuredly told his rivals at the Doha Asian Games on Monday that he is in good shape and has prepared for facing uphill tasks.

Chinese badminton star and world No.6 seed Bao Chunlai talks to a journalist on his arrival of Doha November 27, 2006. The Chinese badminton and gymnastics squad for the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 arrived Doha November 27. [Xinhua]

"I'm really in form," said the 23-year-old badminton star going out of the Doha International Airport on Monday morning with the 16-member squad of the Chinese badminton team.

"When I learned I might challenge many powerful rivals in the men's singles competition in Doha, I felt nothing special. I have prepared well for getting through hardships. "

Before an expected showdown with world No. 1 teammate Lin Dan in the men's singles final on Dec. 9, Bao might lock horns with Indonesian Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat in the quarter-finals and then challenge world No. 2 Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia in the semis.

Bao came to Doha with flush of hope as he has made several breakthroughs this season. At the six-star South Korea Open this August, Bao beat master-hands such as South Korean Lee Hyun Il and Malaysian Roslin Hashim to clinch the title, ending an almost five- year spell of no gold.

Later at the Madrid World Championships, Bao defeated Malaysian top player Lee Chong Wei whom he had never won before in the quarter-finals and rushed into the final aganist Lin Dan.

Despite losing to Lin in the final in Madrid, Bao made a sweet revenge in the semi-finals at China Open in October. After the brilliant clash, Bao said, "Overplaying Lin made me even more happy than pulling off the gold. I haven't beaten him for three or four years."

Bao will enjoy a first round bye at Asiad and is slated to vie against the winner between Ronald Susilo from Singapore and Tarek Shalhoum from Sri Lanka in the second round.