Denmark aims to reach Sudirman Cup final

Denmark aims to reach Sudirman Cup final

This second of two articles previews the Group B teams
competing in the Sudirman Cup mixed team championship in Seville,
Spain, from May 28 to June 3.

JAKARTA (JP): The runner-up at the 1999 Sudirman Cup, Denmark,
is the most ambitious to topple China and bring home the trophy.
A victory would cement the country's status as a European
badminton powerhouse.

Denmark -- whose shuttlers dominate the seedings for the World
Championships being staged following the Sudirman Cup -- will
face Indonesia and England in the tough Group B.

In a poll by the International Badminton Federation, 19
percent of respondents said Denmark would win the Sudirman Cup, 3
percent less than Indonesia, which won the trophy in the
inaugural event in Jakarta in 1989.

Both countries were far behind heavy favorite and defending
champion China, with 46 percent liking its chance to retain its
title.

Denmark will rely on world number one men's singles Peter Gade
Christensen, despite a decline in form following his 2000 Sydney
Olympics semifinals loss to Ji Xinpeng of China.

Playing before a home crowd two years ago, Gade Christensen
helped Denmark reach the final of the Sudirman Cup by forcing
young Indonesian star Taufik Hidayat to swallow a humiliating
defeat.

Denmark also boasts World Champion women's singles Camilla
Martin, who is the top seed for the World Championships and
ranked number one in the world.

Denmark will face England on Monday and Indonesia on
Wednesday.

Head coach Kenneth Larsen told The Jakarta Post by e-mail that
his squad must be wary of England.

"I think the group is very tough. We must be aware on the
first day because England has three very good doubles teams in
the men's doubles, mixed doubles and women's doubles."

In the men's doubles, Denmark will rely on the world number
one duo of Jens Eriksen and Jesper Larsen to face England's world
number 15 Simon Archer and Nathan Robertson.

Denmark will also be looking for points in the women's and
mixed doubles, where England will be without the services of last
year's All England winner Joanne Goode, who usually partners
Archer in the mixed doubles. Goode's absence leaves Donna Kellogg
as the backbone in both events.

"We hope to reach the final in the Sudirman Cup as we did last
time. In Group B, Denmark and Indonesia are the strong teams and
I think both countries will qualify for the semifinals," said
Larsen, hoping end his tenure as national coach with a victory.

Underdog position

Denmark's toughest opponent in the group looks to be
Indonesia. But the country's preparations for the event were
colored by verbal attacks between the Badminton Association of
Indonesia (PBSI) chairman Subagyo Hadisiwoyo and world number
three men's singles shuttler Taufik Hidayat.

Providing further distraction were rumors that several
shuttlers planned to move to other countries because of
dissatisfaction with sponsorship contracts.

A further shock was Subagyo's dismissal of the country's
chances of winning the Sudirman Cup, urging the shuttlers to
concentrate instead on the World Championships.

The shuttlers dismissed such talk, particularly considering
that the Cup was named after former PBSI chairman Sudirman.

PBSI then came out and said it fully expected its team to
bring home the Sudirman Cup after 12 years of waiting, a
confidence-building statement that is hoped will help the
shuttlers at the biennial event.

Indonesia will likely rely on Hendrawan in the men's singles,
particularly in its duel with Denmark. PBSI will likely remember
the 1999 event, where fielding Taufik cost the country.

In the men's doubles, the pairing of Candra Wijaya and Sigit
Budiarto should strengthen the squad. The duo have been in good
form, posting a victory over Eriksen and Larsen in the All
England in March.

Veteran shuttlers Minarti Timur and Bambang Suprianto are
being tapped to shut down Michael Sogaard and Rikke Olsen of
Denmark in the mixed doubles. They will also be sent out against
England, which will likely field the duo of Archer and Gail Emms.

The pressure is on Indonesia to win in the men's singles and
doubles and the mixed doubles, because the squad is weak in the
women's singles and doubles.

Indonesia's head coach and the training director of the
Indonesian Badminton Center, Christian Hadinata, said that
Indonesia's underdog position -- based on its semifinal showing
in 1999 and the seedings for the World Championships -- must
motivate the shuttlers to perform.

"They must be able to take advantage of being the underdog, of
not having the pressure. They can perform all out because they
have nothing to lose.

"The seedings do not represent the real power of the players.
Right now no country really dominates badminton, except China on
the women's side. Therefore, our shuttlers must be able to take
the opportunity, no matter how small it is," Christian said.

Former PBSI official Lutfi Hamid called on Christian to put in
place strategies based on the strength of their opponents.

"The strategy used in deciding on which players (to field) and
match scheduling can be helpful in winning matches," he said.

Avoid relegation

England finalized its preparations for the Sudirman Cup by
staging a friendly against Japan on May 22. It also fielded its
top players in the British Grand Slam on May 12 and May 13.

The Badminton Association of England performance director,
Finn Traerup-Hansen, said as quoted by www.baofe.co.uk: "I expect
England to be represented by most of the top national players."

The country will rely on its men's, women's and mixed doubles,
particularly with 1996 Olympic men's doubles champion Rexy
Mainaky of Indonesia as an assistant coach.

Men's singles shuttlers Colin Haughton and Mark Constables,
and women's singles Julia Mann and Tracey Hallam will have their
work cut out for them against the Danish and Indonesian
shuttlers.

England's real goal in the Sudirman Cup is not to be relegated
after joining Division 1 two years ago, sending Malaysia to
Division 2.

Archer said: "We just want to remain in Division 1. Therefore
we must win the playoffs." (yan)