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)