China shuttlers primed for $180,000 World Cup

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's long-standing badminton rival, China, will field its best shuttlers for the US$180,000 World Cup Badminton Championships being staged here between Sept. 13 and Sept. 17.

Indonesia will have a chance to make amends for its loss to China's shuttlers at the Sudirman Cup mixed team championships and the world championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, last May.

China will send seven top players to Jakarta, including Ye Zhaoying who beat badminton queen Susi Susanti in both championships.

China will rely on Sun Jun, Don Jiong and Chen Gang in the men's division. They are ranked by the International Badminton Federation as 10th, 12th and 32nd respectively.

At the Sudirman Cup championships, Sun Jun beat world number one Hariyanto Arbi 15-7, 9-15 and 15-11. Dong Jiong won the Ciba Cup last year by beating Hariyanto and Joko Supriyanto, Indonesia's two top male shuttlers.

Chen Gang is the current world's junior champion.

In the men's doubles, China will depend on Huang Zhanzhong and Jiang Xin. The pair beat the world's number one Indonesian pair of Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky at the recently concluded American Open in Atlanta.

Indonesian shuttlers playing in the World Cup championships include Hariyanto Arbi, Grand Prix winner Ardy B. Wiranata, China Open champ Alan Budikusuma, Susi Susanti and Uber Cup heroine Mia Audina.

Denmark, Malaysia, England, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Sweden and Chinese Taipei will also send teams, but failed to submit team lists (arf).