SINGAPORETO DECIDE JVC ASIAN RANKINGS CHAMPS

Gong Zhichao (LS-CHN)

JAKARTA: August 2, 1999
Ha Tae Kwon/Kim Dong Moon of Korea moved even closer to Men's Doubles world #1 players Candra Wijaya/Tony Gunawan of Indonesia this week on the JVC Asian Badminton Rankings. Only a few points separate the two pairs leading up to the final event on the JVC Rankings qualifiers for 1999.

The other race that has tightened is in the Ladies' Singles where Dai Yun's lead over Chinese compatriot Gong Ruina is slipping. Both the Men's Doubles and Ladies' Singles JVC Rankings champions will be decided after the Konica Cup in Singapore in late August. Winners of the JVC Asian Rankings in all five badminton categories will be provisionally named as the top seeds at the JVC Asian Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur this September.

Men's Singles: World #1 Sun Jun of China is in the driver's seat in the Men's Singles category. The only change here was Malaysia's Yong Hock Kin moving up another spot from #10 to the #9 position overtaking compatriot Rashid Sidek.

Ladies' Singles: Dai Yun lead over Chinese second-placed compatriot Gong Ruina was reduced this week. However, even though the #1 position is now even more within her reach, Gong will still need a victory over Dai Yun or Danish top seed, Camilla Martin, in Singapore to overtake the #1 position. If she is able to do this, she would also likely take over the #1 world position as well-a position Gong Ruina has never held.

Men's Doubles: Only a few points now separate the #2 Koreans Ha/Kim from the #1 position currently held by Candra/Tony from Indonesia. It is possible that the Koreans could retake the #1 spot next week without even playing a match as Candra/Tony's results from last year are subtracted from their rankings calculation. Even if the Koreans gain the #1 spot next week, the race won't be over until after the Konica Cup in August where all of the top four seeds in this category still have a chance to complete the season in the #1 position.

Ladies' Doubles: Ge/Gu of China, the world #1pair, have a lead which could only be overtaken by the current #2 pair also from China, Huang/Yang. Therefore, it is almost certain that Ge/Gu will again be the #1 seeds at the 1999 JVC ABC in Kuala Lumpur this September.

Mixed Doubles: Kim/Ra of Korea, currently in the #1 position will also have their work cut out for them in Singapore after the recent JVC Rankings change. Their lead has slipped over the #2 Chinese pair of Liu/Ge and also the third place Indonesian contenders of Trikus/Minarti. A victory from either of these three pairings in Singapore could secure them the JVC Asian Rankings title.

Top finishers on the JVC Asian Badminton Rankings will qualify for prizes from JVC to be awarded at the 1999 JVC Asian Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on September 15, 1999. The ranking points are derived from the IBF's official world rankings which are released weekly on Thursday morning at 10:00 GMT.

Issued by International Management Group, Jakarta on behalf of the Asian Badminton Confederation. If you require more information, please contact Ms. Maya Hidajat of IMG Jakarta at Tel: (62-21) 526 8038, Fax: (62-21) 526 8039 or E-mail: mhidajat.