China plots All England badminton offensive
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-18 06:59

LONDON: China's annual assault on the All England badminton championships starting in Birmingham on Wednesday has been boosted by two new kids on the block.

Last year the Chinese took up where they left off at the Athens Olympics by winning four of the five titles, equalling their feat of 1997 and eclipsing Asian rivals Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea.

Heading the Chinese newcomers on the men's side is Chen Jin, 20, who stunned twice All England champion Chen Hong in the final of the German Open on Sunday.

It was a first Grand Prix success for Jin, twice world junior champion, and the 15-3, 15-7 scoreline parades him as a dangerous floater in the men's draw.

Unseeded, his first opponent is the experienced fifth seed Hafiz Hashim, title winner in 2003 when he ended a 37-year Malaysian drought in the men's singles at the sport's most venerable tournament.

Top seed and 2004 champion Lin Dan, another Chinese powerhouse, faces a tricky second round match against Denmark's Kasper Oedum who reached the semi-finals in Germany.

His compatriot Peter Gade, seeded joint third, is in good form but China, old or new, look like eventually testing the 1999 champion too far.

In the women's singles young Lu Lan gave 30-year-old Olympic champion Zhang Ning, 10 years her senior, a run for her money in the German Open final and a bright future looks on the cards.

Home fans will look to Olympic mixed doubles silver medallists Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms to retain their All England title but there will be sadness as stalwart Simon Archer, who took bronze in the mixed at the Sydney Games, makes his farewell Birmingham appearance before quitting the international scene at the end of 2006.

The championships herald the start of a crowded year with the Commonwealth Games, the European Games, the Thomas and Uber Cup finals and the world championships in Madrid all to come in the next eight months.

Before that, from February 1, the International Badminton Federation starts its experiment with the 3x21 points (best of three sets, first to 21) scoring system instead of 3x15 at all IBF events carrying world ranking points.

Under the new system every rally is worth a point, at present only the server can score points.