Former world champion Rasmussen makes comeback<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Guangzhou, China<\/p>\n
The 1997 World Champion Peter Rasmussen of Denmark deserved a
\nplace in the country's Thomas Cup badminton squad, replacing
\ncompatriot Peter Gade Christensen who had to stay home due to
\ninjury, after struggling for two years to recover from the
\nproblem in the ligament of his left ankle.<\/p>\n
Rasmussen was sidelined for two years after he injured his
\nankle during a match against Chinese Dong Jiong at the 1999
\nChinese Open. The doctors needed 10 months to find the problem.<\/p>\n
\"The key to my recovery and come back was to keep thinking
\npositive and focus my mind to find solutions instead of wasting
\ntime and energy weeping on the problems,\" he said after a
\ntraining session at the Badminton Hall of the Tianhe Sports
\nCenter here.<\/p>\n
\"If you think positively, your body will produce certain
\nchemicals to speed up the healing process. It has been
\nscientifically proven,\" he said, while quoting a scientific
\nexperiment.<\/p>\n
Rasmussen recalled the first days of his injury as the most
\ndepressing.<\/p>\n
\"The doctors told me that it was such a very rare injury. It
\nhas been reported that only 20 people around the world get it
\neach year,\" said the lefthander. \"I had the surgery in the summer
\nof 2000.\"<\/p>\n
\"My recovery was a long and painstaking process. I could walk
\nbut couldn't play badminton. Which really hurt me as a shuttler.\"<\/p>\n
As the cliche goes, every cloud has a silver lining, and
\nRasmussen had his own.<\/p>\n
\"I started to attend medical school while I was injured. I
\nhave been taking classes for two years but I still need four
\nyears more to go,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It's important for me to take my thoughts off the court for
\nsometimes. Once I did it, I could make the return to the court
\neasier.\"<\/p>\n
Born on Aug. 2, 1974, Rasmussen began to play badminton at the
\nage of seven following in the footsteps of his parents, Ike and
\nVita Rasmussen. Later he joined a local club, Nykobing Falster.<\/p>\n
Once he regained his strength and form, Rasmussen proved his
\nquality as a former world champion by clinching the men's singles
\ntitle at the 2002 European Championships in April with only some
\nfour months of preparation.<\/p>\n
\"At first, I must admit that I had difficulties after being
\noff the court for some two years,\" he said. \"To add the problems,
\nI had to adapt with the new scoring system.\"<\/p>\n
\"It took some time to get my feeling back of the sport. But
\nfinally it will return when you play your game.\"<\/p>\n
As for his future, Rasmussen aims to reclaim his position as
\none of the world's greatest shuttlers in a year's time.<\/p>\n
\"It is my intention to continue my career in badminton a
\nlittle longer. I will do my best to improve my ranking and I hope
\nI can reach the top next year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Then I must finish my medical study.\"<\/p>\n
\"I also plan to marry my long-time girlfriend. I want to get
\nmarried this year but have yet to propose her.<\/p>\n
\"You reporters are the first to know,\" he added with a laugh.<\/p>\n
Rasmussen, who has been with law student Josephine Jacobsen
\nfor five and a half years, considers settling down to start a
\nfamily to be important, and that it is necessary to commit full
\ntime to it.<\/p>\n
\"It is a tough job being parents as they ought to be there for
\nthe children whenever needed.\"<\/p>",
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