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Big guns line up for Sudirman Cup battle
May 24, 2001 - Source : IBF
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There's only a matter of days to go before the start of the VII Sudirman Cup (world mixed team championships), and the 54 competing nations have submitted their team lists to the International Badminton Federation.
The six badminton heavyweights vying for the title in Group 1 - China, Denmark, England, Indonesia, Korea and Sweden - have put forward their biggest names in the hope of taking home the biennial trophy, contested from 28 May - 2 June at Seville’s San Pablo Stadium.
After scooping a hat-trick of Cup titles in Denmark two years ago, top seeds China (drawn in Group 1 A) have fielded seven of their twelve medallists from the Sydney Games in a bid to make it four in a row in Seville. Olympic gold medallists Gong Zhichao, Ji Xinpeng, Zhang Jun and Gao Ling combine with the youthful exuberance of world junior champions Zhang Jiewen and Wei Yili to form the great wall which sets them apart from their closest rivals, Denmark, who’ll be looking for their first ever Sudirman Cup crown.
Drawn in Group 1 B with Indonesia and England, the Danes will be hoping to find the form which has escaped them in recent events. World numbers ones Peter Gade and Camilla Martin will spearhead the European campaign, accompanied by the experienced and in-form Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen, Jens Eriksen, Mette Schjoldager and Jesper Larsen.
In a change of policy after originally playing down their Sudirman Cup chances, Indonesia have also selected some hard hitters for their team, which includes Taufik Hidayat, Sydney silver medallist Hendrawan, All England champions Tony Gunawan and Halim Haryanto and former world champions Candra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto. Bereft of any formidable challengers in the women’s only events, Indonesia will be hoping to notch up enough wins in the men’s singles, and men’s and mixed doubles to pull them through.
England, who are enjoying promotion to the top-flight after winning Group 2 in 1999, will be fighting for their survival amongst the elite along with fellow underdogs Sweden.
Still troubled by a knee injury in need of surgery, Simon Archer will lead the English bid, hoping to cement his partnership with 22-year-old Gail Emms in preparation for the individual event.
Korea, who’ve fielded a comparatively smaller team than their rivals in 1 A, will rely on the in-form Lee Hyun Il, and the experience of Ra Kyung Min, 1999 world champions Ha Tae Kwon and Kim Dong Moon, and runners-up Lee Dong Soo and Yoo Yong Sung.
Meanwhile, in the Group 2 battle for promotion, Malaysia will be pinning their hopes on Wong Choong Hann, Ong Ewe Hock and doubles pairs Choong Tan Fook, & Lee Wan Wah, and Chan Chong Ming & Chew Choon Eng when they take on Japan, Germany and Ukraine in Group 2 A. As expected, Swiss and Japanchampion Roslin Hashim will skip the team event to concentrate on his World Championships bid.
In Group 2 B, Mia Audina Tjiptawan is set to step out in Dutch colours in her first team event for her new country. Personal problems saw Audina withdraw from the 1999 event in Cagen, where she was due to play for Indonesia.
Now, two years on, with a new husband and a new country, Audina will be hoping to help ensure the Netherlands make the top group and a chance at the Cup when the event reaches home soil at Eindhoven in 2003.
As well as the Netherlands, the other Group 2 B teams (Scotland and Chinese Taipei) should underestimate Thailand at their peril following the unexpected success of their men''s team at the Asia Cup in Singapore, the Thais have proven they''re a force to be reckoned with.
Note:
Armenia, Jordan and Mauritius originally entered the tournament, but have subsequently withdrawn.
As a result of these withdrawals, the published groups and schedule will need to be amended, and will be published in due course.
Names listed are those submitted to the IBF at the entry deadline and may include non-playing reserves. ;;Roslin seeded first for Seville;2;IBF; ; ;24/05/2001 : Malaysia has received a huge boost ahead of the XII World Championships - Roslin Hashim has knocked Denmark's Peter Gade off the world number one spot in this week's world ranking, and will be the top seed for the Championships, held from 3-10 June. ; 24/05/2001 : Malaysia has received a huge boost ahead of the XII World Championships - Roslin Hashim has knocked Denmark's Peter Gade off the world number one spot in this week's world ranking, and will be the top seed for the Championships, held from 3-10 June.
Hashim, who's to skip the Sudirman Cup competition (28 May - 2 June in favour of his preparations for the individual event, overtakes the Dane due to the removal of ranking points from last year's Thomas Cup Finals in Kuala Lumpur, and will be looking for his third consecutive tournament win in Seville to add to his Swiss and Japantitles.
Gade, on the other hand, has just one Grand Prix title to his name so far this year - the Korea won in January - and has struggled to find form in his most recent tournaments.
Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat will be hoping to put his problems with the Indonesia Badminton Association (PBSI) behind him, and as the highest seeded Indonesian at number three, he'll be looking for a 100% improvement on Indonesia's 1999 World Championships campaign, where they left without any medals.
All England runner-up and Chinese number one Chen Hong is seeded fourth.
In the women's singles event, reigning World Champion Camilla Martin is the number one seed, but will face the usual onslaught of top-notch Chinese girls if she's to regain her crown at the San Pablo Stadium.
Zhou Mi, Martin's conqueror on the last two occasions they've met, is the second seed, with compatriot and former world junior champion Gong Ruina seeded third. Olympic and two-times All England champion Gong Zhichao lurks dangerously in fifth place, preceded by Sweden's Marina Andrievskaya.
Denmark also steal the top spots in the men's and mixed doubles events. Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen are the number one pair in the men's event, and are joined by teammates Michael Sogaard and Jim Laugesen in second place and Martin Lundgaard Hansen and Lars Paaske in fourth. Indonesia's Flandi Limpele and Eng Hian prevent the Danish clean sweep, seeded third.
Although seeded eighth in Seville, Candra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto will looking for their second World Championships title (to add to their Glasgow 1997 win) to cement their re-unification, and Tony Gunawan and Halim Haryanto are also strong contenders, seeded in fifth place.
Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen will be looking for a successful conclusion to their partnership in what looks to be Sogaard's last outing at international level. He's due to retire after Seville, and a World Championships title will provide the perfect exit to a highly successful career.
Jens Eriksen and Mette Schjoldager join their teammates in second place, and Olympic champions Zhang Jun and Gao Ling are seeded third.
All eyes now turn to the World Championships draw, released at 1100 UK Time tomorrow (24 May 2001), and the Sudirman Cup (world mixed team championships) which kicks off on Monday.
Seeds:
1 HASHIM M. Roslin (MAS)
2 Peter GADE (DEN)
3 Taufik HIDAYAT (INA)
4 CHEN Hong (CHN)
5 LEE Hyun II (KOR)
6 Pulella GOPICHAND (IND)
7 Marleve MAINAKY (INA)
8 Anders BOESEN (DEN)
9 XIA Xuanze (CHN)
10 Richard VAUGHAN (WAL)
11 JI Xinpeng (CHN)
12 ONG Ewe Hock (MAS)
13 Kenneth JONASSEN (DEN)
14 . HENDRAWAN (INA)
15 SHON Seung Mo (KOR)
16 George RIMARCDI (SWE)
Women's Singles
1 Camilla MARTIN (DEN)
2 ZHOU Mi (CHN)
3 GONG Ruina (CHN)
4 Marina ANDRIEVSKAYA (SWE)
5 GONG Zhichao (CHN)
6 Julia MANN (ENG)
7 Mia AUDINA TJIPTAWAN (NED)
8 ZHANG Ning (CHN)
9 Kelly MORGAN (WAL)
10 Judith MEULENDIJKS (NED)
11 Chen WANG (HKG)
12 Kanako YONEKURA (JPN)
13 Wan Ting LING (HKG)
14 DAI Yun (CHN)
15 Mette SORENSEN (DEN)
16 Kaori MORI (JPN)
Men's Doubles
1 Jens ERIKSEN & Jesper LARSEN (DEN)
2 Michael SOGAARD & Jim LAUGESEN (DEN)
3 Flandi LIMPELE & Eng HIAN (INA)
4 Martin LUNDGAARD HANSEN & Lars PAASKE (DEN)
5 Tony GUNAWAN & Halim HARYANTO (INA)
6 CHEW Choon Eng & CHAN Chong Ming (MAS)
7 CHOONG Tan Fook & LEE Wan Wah (MAS)
8 Candra WIJAYA & Sigit BUDIARTO (INA)
9 Michael LAMP & Jonas RASMUSSEN (DEN)
10 Ian SULLIVAN & Anthony CLARK (ENG)
11 Che Kong MA & Kwun Yuen YAU (HKG)
12 Michal LOGOSZ & Robert MATEUSIAK (POL)
13 LIU Yong & CHEN Qiqiu (CHN)
14 LEE Dong Soo & YOO Yong Sung (KOR)
15 Simon ARCHER & Nathan ROBERTSON (ENG)
16 ZHANG Wei & ZHANG Jun (CHN)
Women's Doubles
1 HUANG Nanyan & YANG Wei (CHN)
2 Helene KIRKEGAARD & Rikke OLSEN (DEN)
3 Mette SCHJOLDAGER & Ann-Lou JORGENSEN (DEN)
4 Majken VANGE & Pernille HARDER (DEN)
5 GAO Ling & HUANG Sui (CHN) 6 RA Kyung Min & LEE Kyung Won (KOR)
7 HWANG Yu Mi & LEE Hyo Jung (KOR)
8 ZHANG Jiewen & WEI Yili (CHN)
9 Nicole GRETHER & Nicol PITRO (GER)
10 Kaori MORI & Megumi ONIIKE (JPN)
11 Shizuka YAMAMOTO & Seiko YAMADA (JPN)
12 CHEN Lin & JIANG Xuelian (CHN)
13 Sara SANKEY & Ella MILES (ENG)
14 Emma CHAFFIN & Sarah HARDAKER (ENG)
15 Erica VAN DEN HEUVEL & Nicole VAN HOOREN (NED)
16 Katrin PIOTROWSKI & Anne HOENSCHEID (GER)
Mixed Doubles
1 Michael SOGAARD & Rikke OLSEN (DEN)
2 Jens ERIKSEN & Mette SCHJOLDAGER (DEN)
3 ZHANG Jun & GAO Ling (CHN)
4 Bambang SUPRIANTO & Minarti TIMUR (INA)
5 Nova WIDIANTO & Marisa VITA (INA)
6 LIU Yong & CHENG Jiao (CHN)
7 Graham HURRELL & Sarah HARDAKER (ENG)
8 Bjoern SIEGEMUND & Nicol PITRO (GER)
9 KIM Dong Moon & RA Kyung Min (KOR)
10 Tri KUSHARYANTO & Indarti ISSOLINA (INA)
11 CHEN Qiqiu & CHEN Lin (CHN)
12 Frederik BERGSTROM & Jenny KARLSSON (SWE)
13 David LINDLEY & Emma CHAFFIN (ENG)
14 Kwok Wa LIU & Wai Chee Louisa KOON (HKG)
15 Simon ARCHER & Gail EMMS (ENG)
16 Russell HOGG & Kirsteen MCEWAN (SCO) |
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