LONDON - The All England badminton championships dating back to 1899 open a new chapter on Wednesday but without Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat, a surprise late withdrawal.

An Indonesian team official confirmed late on Monday that Hidayat would not be coming to the five-day tournament which begins in Birmingham on Wednesday.

Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat clinches his fist after winning the men's singles badminton final against China's Lin Dan during the Asian Games in Doha December 9, 2006. [Reuters]

Local media in Indonesia reported Hidayat was upset over what he saw as a change of stance by the Indonesian Badminton Association on sanctions handed out to four team mates who played in a tournament in Papua in December without permission.

Hidayat himself has a colourful history, including walking out of a semi-final at the Hong Kong Open last September in a big row about a line-call.

His absence from the All Englands, which he has yet to win, is a big blow to the prestige event which moves into new territory this week though the entry remains strong.

The tournament has become part of badminton's 12-strong Super Series with a slimmed down field of 32 and record prize money. Top officials are seeking to boost recognition of the sport worldwide.

The National Indoor Arena in Birmingham is the third stop on the way after January's South Korea and Malaysia Opens.

Each event, boasting a minimum of $200,000 in prize money, serves as a qualifier for the season-ending Super Series finals in December which will be the richest ever badminton tournament with a cool $500,000 up for grabs.

Last year's All England offered $125,000 and tournament director Darren Parks told Reuters: "It's been a long-standing ambition to increase prize money which I suppose in real terms had not been that much different from 1981 when the tournament was held at Wembley."

EIGHT SEEDS

Healthy crowds are expected with Parks reporting: "As far as pre-event sales go, they are the best ever."

The fact that only eight players are seeded had heralded some tasty first-round clashes, especially in the men's singles where Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia, All England winner in 2003, was due to have played Hidayat.

But there is still plenty to whet the appetite.

Hafiz's brother Roslin meets top seed and world champion Lin Dan of China. Chen Jin, the second seed, will start his quest against England's Andrew Smith before a probable quarter-final clash with Denmark's Kenneth Jonassen.

Dane Peter Gade is still unbeaten in 2007 as he flew directly home after his impressive success in the Malaysia Open to prepare especially for Birmingham.

As ever, China look impregnable in the women's singles and doubles but in the mixed doubles England's world champions Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms should stretch the exciting new pairing of Zheng Bo and Gao Ling.

The Chinese duo arrive in Birmingham after back-to-back victories in the Asian Games last December and then the first two legs of the Super Series.

Robertson and Emms, All England winners in 2005, finished runners-up in 2006 when they lost to Gao and former partner Zhang Jun.