Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2007-06-16 From: Xinhuanet

GLASGOW, June 15 (Xinhua) — The world badminton governing body BWF formally unveiled its new logo at the Sudirman Cup world mixed team badminton championship here on Friday.

The new logo, shaped like a racquet head which also signifies a globe, came after the general meeting in Madrid last year, which approved the name change from the International Badminton Federation to the Badminton World Federation.

“The new logo is a great assets to BWF and a contribution to promote badminton throughout the world,” BWF deputy president Punch Gunalan told a press conference.

As one among many changes made to modernize badminton’s image, the new logo represents badminton’s wide and growing appeal with 163 members and the swoosh in the logo also signifies the dynamic nature of the sports, according to Gunalan.

The three-month logo design competition prompted 1,669 entries and Aboeb Luthfy of Indonesia finally earned the honor of providing the BWF with its new visual trademark as well as a US dollar 5,000 prize.

Entries were received from 57 countries but almost 50 percent came from just Malaysia and Indonesia.

Updated: 2007-06-15 From: Xinhuanet

GLASGOW, June 14 (Xinhua) — England ensured a first-ever Sudirman Cup medal after reaching the semi-finals at the world team championships on Thursday.

England routed Thailand 4-1 in their final Group A clash to reach the semifinals for the first time in their 10 attempts since the biennial tournament was inaugurated in 1989.

That left team manager Ian Wright a very happy man.

“It’s fantastic,” he said, “It shows we are able to compete right at the highest level. We need to look beyond Europe now and go for more world success.”

They will challenge Asian powerhouse Indonesia on Saturday, while holders China will face three-time winners South Korea.

“We aren’t settling for bronze. Now we want to make the final and we believe we have a real chance,” Wright said.

“Indonesia will start favourites but if we can get our players mentally right again and free from pressure maybe we can get a win.”

World champions Nathan Roberston and Gail Emms set the English on course with a 19-21, 21-16, 21-17 victory over in the mixed doubles.

Andrew Smith lost to Boonsak Ponsana 21-23, 13-21 in men’s singles but Commonwealth champion Tracey Hallam proved too strong for Salkajit Ponsana.

After she put England ahead again, it was left to world silver medallists Robert Blair and Anthony Clark to win a three-set clashwith Tesana Panvisavas and Songphon Anugritayawon to get the England squad celebrating.

Emms returned to complete the 4-1 victory in the women’s doubles with Donna Kellogg.

England, who disappointed 3-2 on, accumulated two wins out of the three round-robin ties to qualify as Group A runners-up behind five-time champions China.

They are the fifth team, also the second in Europe, that ever made it last four at Sudirman Cup. The other four are Indonesia, China, Malaysia and Denmark.

Five-time champions China, who already advanced into semifinals on the strength of 5-0 thrashing of Thailand and England, completed their group ties with a 4-1 victory over Malaysia.

It was the first time since the 2003 final that China had not won a Sudirman Cup match 5-0.

They had been expected to present another whitewash but world number one Lin Dan suffered a shock 21-17, 21-17 defeat by Asian champion Lee Chong Wei in the final game of men’s singles.

“Don’t think of him as a superman,” Chinese head coach Li said of the 23-year-old, known as “Super Dan” for his talents.

“Since we have qualified for the semifinals and already won the match with four points in hand, Lin might feel relaxed and it’s not necessary for him to win his game.”

“It’s not saying he didn’t take the game seriously. He just didn’t play his best. He’s not a superman.”

However, the Chinese leading shuttler did not utter a word after his defeat and walked directly into the changing room through a batch of Chinese reporters who were trying to interview him.

China are hot favorites to retain the title and Li was confident to win their sixth Sudirman Cup.

“It would be the breaking news if China could not win the tournament,” he said.

Updated: 2007-06-15 From: Xinhuanet

GLASGOW, June 14 (Xinhua) — Chinese head coach Li Yongbo said that he had no worries for world number one Lin Dan, who missed a point in China’s 4-1 win over Malaysia at badminton Sudirman Cup on Thursday.

Holders China, who already advanced into semifinals on the strength of 5-0 thrashing of Thailand and England, had been expected to present another whitewash in their final Group A matchagainst Malaysia, but Asian champion Lee Chong Wei surprised Lin 21-17, 21-17 in the final game of men’s singles.

It was the first time since the 2003 final that China had not won a Sudirman Cup match 5-0.

“Don’t think of him as a superman,” Li said of the 23-year-old, known as “Super Dan” for his talents.

“Since we have qualified for the semifinals and already won the match with four points in hand, Lin might feel relaxed and it’s not necessary for him to win his game.”

“It’s not saying he didn’t take the game seriously. He just didn’t play his best. He’s not a superman.”

However, the Chinese leading shuttler did not utter a word after his defeat and walked directly into the changing room through a batch of Chinese reporters who wanted to interview him.

Lin has been a frequent visitor to the top of the world rankings but tended to have under-par performance in major events.

He suffered a shock opening round exit in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and the 2005 world championships final became a nightmare as he was routed 3-15, 7-15 by archrival Taufik Hidayak of Indonesia.

“Lee is better prepared than Lin. He wanted to prove himself and kind of changed his game. The defeat is a good thing to Lin and he will learn from it,” Li said.

“Looking to the semifinals, I might make minor changes to our lineup because of injury and fitness. But definitely I still have confidence in Lin. He has been steady in team competition.”

China, who will meet South Korea in Saturday’s semifinals, are hot favorites to retain the title and Li was confident to win their sixth Sudirman Cup.

“It would be the breaking news if China could not win the tournament,” he said.

Updated: 2007-06-15 From: Xinhuanet

GLASGOW, June 14 (Xinhua) — England became the fifth team that ever qualified for the Sudirman Cup semifinals on Thursday in the world team badminton championships’ history of 18 years.

England already won their final Group A clash against Thailand when they led 3-1 in a total of five games.

They accumulated two wins out of the three round-robin ties to make the semis for the first time since the biennial event was inaugurated in 1989.

Updated: 2007-06-14 From: Xinhuanet

GLASGOW, England, June 13 (Xinhua) — Indonesia beat Chinese Hong Kong 4-1 on Wednesday to qualify for the semifinals of the Sudirman Cup mixed team badminton championships.

The 1989 inaugural winners, who fell victim 3-2 to South Korea the opening day but came back on track after Tuesday’s 4-1 victory over Denmark, accumulated 10 winning games in the three ties to top Division one Group B.

Three time winners South Korea joined Indonesia into the last four although they lost to European tycoon Denmark 3-2 in the other D1 Group B match on Wednesday. They won nine games in all from the three round-robin clashes, one game ahead of Denmark.

South Korea will have to face titleholders China, who leads Group A, in a semifinal on Saturday.

Indonesia rested Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat from the men’s singles and Sony Dwi Kuncoro, replacing Hidayat, beat Ng Wei of Chinese Hong Kong 21-16, 15-21, 21-17.

The mixed duo Limpele Flandy and Vita Marissa gave Indonesia a winning start as they outperformed Yohan Hadikusumo Wiratama and Hoi Wah Chau 21-11, 21-18. Sony then made it 2-0 for Indonesia.

Pui Yin Yip grabbed Chinese Hong Kong’s only point in women’s singles, beating Adriyanti Firdasari 21-10, 22-20. But Candra Wijaya and Yulianto Alvent put the tie beyond doubt with a 18-21 21-14 21-10 victory in the men’s doubles over Albertus Susanto Njoto and Yohan Hadikusumo Wiratama.

Women’s pair Greysia Polii and Lilyana Natsir conquered Wai Chee Koon and Hoi Wah Chau 21-7 19-21 21-8 to conclude the 4-1 win.

Indonesia doubles player Candra Wijaya, who came out of retirement, was delighted by the victory.

“Our target is to be champions,” Wijaya said, “We have not come here just to participate.”

“This tournament is very important to Indonesia. Our players will be doing our best to win this title. It will not be easy but we have a chance,” he said.

Updated: 2007-06-13 From: Xinhuanet

JAKARTA, June 13 (Xinhua) — Indonesian top shuttler Taufik Hidayat has urged the development of an instant replay system for major badminton events to review a disputed umpire decision, local press said Wednesday.

He renewed his call following protest from Park Sung-hwan of South Korea against an umpire decision regarding the scores in the match against Taufik Tuesday in the world mixed group championship Sudirman Cup.

The score was 6-4 in the first game when Taufik smashed and scored. But the screen showed the score as 8-4, before changing to9-4.

Park challenged the score but there was no replay to show what had happened. The referee, Michaela Bencova, using a touch-pad computer to keep score, did not acknowledge protests from the Korean’s coaches.

“It was awkward,” Taufik, who last year had suggested the adoption of instant replay in badminton, was quoted by English daily The Jakarta Post as saying.

“I was also shocked to see that the score had changed. Park asked me if it should had been seven, and I nodded, but the referee didn’t listen.”

Park’s protests cost him a yellow card as Taufik won the match 21-12, 24-22.

“I have commented many times that having an instant replay system, as they do in tennis, is important for badminton. I said it in Hong Kong last year and repeated it again in Madrid,” said the Olympic champion.

Updated: 2007-06-13 From: Xinhuanet

12

China’s Lin Dan returns the shuttlecock during his match against Andrew Smith of England at the Sudirman Cup World Team Badminton Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, June 12, 2007. Lin Dan beat Smith 21-19, 21-11.(Xinhua Photo/Zhang Chen)

GLASGOW, England, June 12 (Xinhua) — Titleholders China became the first team into the semifinals of the Sudirman Cup world team badminton championships after a second consecutive 5-0 victory over England on Tuesday.

The five-time winners, who whitewashed Thailand 5-0 in their opening day fixture, did not surrender even a single set after the first two Division one Group A ties.

As Malaysia beat Thailand 3-2 in the other Group A match, Malaysia and England both collected one win out of two while Thailand were left with two defeats.

Earlier in Group B matches, Asian powerhouse South Korea took a major stride towards the last four with their 4-1 victory over Chinese Hong Kong, making it two wins out of two.

“Our shuttlers played better games than the first day. We didn’t lose a singe set but usually you have weaker opponents in group stage,” Chinese team coach Li Yongbo told a press conference after the match.

“The real battle hasn’t started yet. We’ll wait and see what’ll happen in the semifinals,” he added.

Li tried a different lineup from the previous night but the Chinese seemed just unstoppable on the way to their sixth title.

Mixed doubles Zheng Bo and Gao Ling claimed the opening point 21-14, 21-16 against Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg while Andrew Smith gave men’s singles world number one Lin Dan a fright before going down 21-19, 21-11.

“Smith pressured me much in the first set,” Lin said afterwards,” but as long as I adapted to his game, I took control of the court.”

“The first set was quite good. He’s always difficult to play against, but I have played him a couple of times before and taken him to three sets,” Smith said.

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