KL's biggest team set for Indonesia Open<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Malaysian ace shuttlers are listed among the big
\nnames who will compete in the Indonesia Open badminton
\nchampionships in Yogyakarta next month<\/p>\n
However, there have been questions about their entry due to
\nthe busy August programs in which they have to don the national
\ncolors in the Commonwealth Games.<\/p>\n
A pack of Malaysian arms made up of 14 players, spearheaded by
\nmen's singles Rashid Sidek and Ong Ewe Hock and doubles
\nspecialists Cheah Soon Kit, Soo Beng Kiang, Tan Kim her and Yap
\nKim Hock, were included in the name list disclosed by the
\nBadminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) yesterday.<\/p>\n
The number put Malaysia as the biggest visiting team at the
\nAug. 10-14 world grand prix tournament which offers a total of
\nUS$160,000 in cash prizes.<\/p>\n
With the Commonwealth Games opened just three days after the
\nIndonesia Open, Malaysian ace players could become major
\nabsentees, tournament's organizers said.<\/p>\n
They are curious about whether the Malaysians have enough
\nrecovery time before entering the Aug. 18-28 Games. Rashid,
\nCommonwealth Games winner, and company are tipped to meet other
\nworld-rated shuttlers in the World Cup championships in Ho Chi
\nMinh City a week before they fly for Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Rashid opted a withdrawal from the Singapore Open in the last
\nminutes last week due to hamstring injury.<\/p>\n
Other participants<\/p>\n
Other 27 shuttlers from Sweden, Denmark, South Korea, Finland,
\nAustria, the Netherlands have also registered themselves for the
\nIndonesia Open.<\/p>\n
More participants, mainly from China, Japan, Thailand,
\nEngland, are expected to join the five-star event to be held in a
\nsmall town situated around 650 kilometers east to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will field a massive team of 200 in the
\nchampionships, the 13th edition of the annual meet, in a bid to
\nwin as many titles as possible. Chinese women's singles Ye
\nZhaoying denied the host team of producing a clean sweep here
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
PBSI campaign looks so ambitious that it suggested world top-
\nranked men's doubles of Rexy Mainaky and Ricky Subagja to skip
\nthe World Cup they won last year. The pair, who have swept three
\nstraight victories this year, are expected to retain their
\nIndonesia Open crown.<\/p>\n
All Indonesia's star-studded players who formed triumphant
\nThomas Cup and Uber Cup teams last May will definitely turn up
\nfor the tournament.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, organizers of the badminton event are scrambling
\nfor the main sponsorship commitment. Many companies said they
\nwere prepared to sign sponsorship deal if at least 10 countries
\nare represented in the tournament. (amd)<\/p>",
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