JVC ASIAN BADMINTON RANKING LAUNCHED

KUALA LUMPUR: July 08, 1999
The Asian Badminton Confederation (ABC) today launched the JVC Asian Badminton Ranking to recognise the efforts and inspire strong performances form Asia’s badminton stars. Developed in association with the International Management Group (IMG) and sponsors JVC, the JVC Asian Badminton Ranking is guided by the world rankings of the International Badminton Federation (IBF) and will be released to Asian newspapers and sports publications weekly. "As many of the world’s best badminton players come from Asia,
it is important for us to reward top players for their achievements and provide incentives for them to perform at their peak," said ABC Secretary-General Datuk Punch Gunalan. IMG’s Director of Badminton for Asia, Mr. James N. White, said that the top ranked Asian players would receive prizes from the sponsors at the JVC Asian Badminton Championships here on September 15 at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium. The winners would be those with highest points after the Konica Cup in Singapore on August 29. Announcing his company’s support, Mr. Mamoru Otake, Managing Director of JVC Asia said: "To be number one in the JVC Asian Ranking, a player must strive for excellence and be in top form throughout the year. This reflects the JVC ethic and we are proud to support this initiative."
On current standings, the Number One’s are:

Men’s Singles : Sun Jun (China)
Ladies’ Singles : Dai Yun ( China )
Men’s Doubles : Ha Tae Kwon and Kim Dong Moon ( Korea )
Ladies’ Doubles : Ge Fei and Gu Jun ( China )
Mixed Doubles : Kim Dong Moon and Ra Kyung Min ( Korea )

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: Mr. James White of IMG Jakarta at Tel: (62-21) 526 8038, Fax: (62-21) 526 8039 or E-mail:jwhite