Badminton body delays GP Finals in Brunei

Badminton body delays GP Finals in Brunei

JAKARTA (JP): The International Badminton Federation (IBF)
announced on Friday the delay of the World Grand Prix Finals in
Brunei Darussalam, due to the Ramadhan and Chinese New Year
holidays.

The US$250,000 six-star annual event, originally scheduled to
take place from Feb. 14 to Feb. 18 2001, will now be staged from
March 28 to April 1, immediately prior to the Japan Open.

Reports have said that Brunei has yet to be confirmed as the
host despite its three-year contract with the IBF to host the
event since 1998.

During his visit to Jakarta for the Asian Badminton
Confederation meeting in early November, IBF chief director Neil
Cameron said that India would probably take over as the host.

The IBF also failed to increase the prize money to $300,000,
as expected by Cameron.

The Olympic men's singles medalists, gold medal winner Ji
Xinpeng of China, silver medalist Hendrawan of Indonesia and
bronze medalist Xia Xuanze of China, are top seeds for the event.

Indonesia's world number four Taufik Hidayat will definitely
miss the event after being banned from two tournaments, the
Korean Open and the World Grand Prix Finals, by the Badminton
Association of Indonesia after the 19-year-old shuttler launched
a verbal attack on chairman Subagyo Hadisiswoyo.

The 1996 Olympic gold medalist Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen will
also be absent following his retirement from badminton at the
Danish Open in October. Hoyer-Larsen is now working as a
marketing manager for state-owned company TeleDanmark.

In the men's doubles, Indonesians Flandy Limpele and Eng Hian
top the seeding list followed by teammates, and Olympic gold
medalists, Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan. Compatriots Sigit
Budiarto and Halim Heryanto are seeded fifth.

Olympic silver medalists Lee Dong-soo and Yoo Yong-sung of
South Korea are third seededs followed by Jens Eriksen and Jesper
Larsen of Denmark, ranked fourth.

Indonesian Olympic mixed doubles silver medalists Tri
Kusherjanto and Minarti Timur are the third seeds following
Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen of Denmark, and Simon Archer and
Joanne Goode of England.

With Goode's retirement due to pregnancy, it is still unclear
whether Archer can compete with a different partner.

None of Indonesia's women's singles or doubles players were
invited to the event.

In the women's singles, Camilla Martin heads the list,
followed by the usual onslaught of Chinese players: Gong Zhichao
in second, Dai Yun in third and Gong Ruina is in fourth place.

In the women's doubles, Chinese Huang Nanyan and Yang Wei top
the seeds followed by two-time Olympics gold medalists Ge Fei and
Gu Jun. With the Chinese press having reported the resignation of
Ge and Gu, it is unclear if the pair will attempt to win a
seventh consecutive Grand Prix Finals title before bowing out of
international competition.

The World Grand Prix Finals take on a round-robin format in
the first round, with singles players grouped in four divisions,
and two groups of four in doubles.

In the singles event, the group winners progress to contest
the semifinals, while in doubles the winners of group A play the
runners-up of group B, and vice versa, in the semis.

National associations must confirm their players' attendance
by Jan. 1 2001, to enable the group draw to be rostered in the
New Year. (yan)