Hariyanto gears up for GP crown<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (Reuter): Indonesia's top-ranked world champion
\nHariyanto Arbi is confident of winning this week's International
\nBadminton Federation (IBF) World Grand Prix finals.<\/p>\n
\"I came here to win the finals,\" Hariyanto told Reuters after
\narriving in Singapore yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"I am in good form,\" Hariyanto said. He added he had been
\ntraining hard for the finals as well as for the 18th Southeast
\nAsian (SEA) Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, scheduled for Dec. 9
\nto Dec. 17.<\/p>\n
The world number one said he expected stiff competition from
\nthe other finalists but would not say which player he thought
\nwould give him the hardest fight.<\/p>\n
\"The players are equally strong,\" said Hariyanto, who is in
\nGroup A with South Korea's Lee Kwan-jin, Malaysia's Rashid Sidek
\nand Sweden's Jens Olsson.<\/p>\n
The World Grand Prix finals, to be held at the Singapore
\nIndoor Stadium from Wednesday to Sunday, offer prize money of
\nUS$325,000, the highest in the event's history, IBF said.<\/p>\n
For audience in Indonesia, the finals will be aired live by
\nSTAR TV's Prime Sports every day at 6 p.m. West Indonesian Time.<\/p>\n
Another Indonesian, Alan Budikusuma, said he has been training
\nwell for the finals and the SEA Games. \"I will try hard to win
\nthe title,\" the reigning Olympic champion said.<\/p>\n
Alan will take on his fellow Indonesian Ardy Bernadus
\nWiranata. Both are in Group B with Indonesian Fung Permadi who
\nnow plays for Chinese Taipei and Denmark's Peter Rasmussen.<\/p>\n
The other two groups are headed by Indonesia's Joko Suprianto
\nand Denmark's Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen.<\/p>\n
In the women's action, Indonesia's Susi Susanti, who was
\nranked third, will not defend her ladies singles crown due to
\ninjury, an official with the Badminton Association of Indonesia
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"She is still nursing a leg muscle injury sustained during the
\nChina Open two weeks ago,\" the official said from Jakarta. \"She
\nis doing light training and we hope she would be fit enough to
\ncompete in the SEA Games.\"<\/p>\n
Following the injury and her defeat to South Korea's Bang Soo-
\nhyun in the semifinals of the China Open, Susanti did not take
\npart in the recent Thailand Open in Chiang Mai.<\/p>\n
Her spot has been filled by a Chinese newcomer, Zhang Nin, who
\nis ranked 15th, an IBF statement said. Soo-Hyun, who was ranked
\nsecond, was also missing from the final grouping.<\/p>",
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