China shuttlers primed for $180,000 World Cup

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).