Denmark, S. Korea to fight for top place in Group A

Denmark, S. Korea to fight for top place in Group A

This is the first of two articles on the strength of teams of
Group A competing in the Sudirman Cup mixed team championship in
Copenhagen next week. The Group B analysis will appear on Sunday.

JAKARTA (JP): Denmark is poised to become the first European
country to win the Sudirman Cup mixed team championship, when it
hosts the biennial event in Copenhagen from May 10 to May 15.

Only three countries have won the tournament since its
inception in 1989. Indonesia triumphed in the inaugural event,
South Korea reigned supreme at the next two meets and China
dominated the last two championships.

Playing before a home crowd, Denmark emerges the strongest
contender this time around, because it has succeeded in
developing talent in all of the five badminton categories.

Danish sports chief Thomas Lund told World Badminton: "We
definitely have a chance of winning the Sudirman Cup. We have
players in every category who can win."

The hosts must pass a daunting Group A test, in which they
will face dark horse South Korea and Sweden in round-robin
matches. Winners in the group will take on the runner-ups of
Group B in the cross-over semifinals. Defending champion China
and Indonesia are favorites for the Group B semifinals.

Both Denmark and South Korea have something to prove in their
pursuit of the top spot of the group. While Denmark looks
invincible in the singles, the Koreans could dent the host's
title bid through their doubles teams.

Each tournament qualifier features a men's singles. a women's
singles, a men's doubles team, a women's doubles pair and a mixed
doubles tandem.

Denmark has plenty of men's singles choices, with five players
ranked among the top 16. They have world number one Peter Gade
Christensen, number four Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, number seven
Thomas Stuer Lauridsen, number 12 Kenneth Johanssen and number 13
Peter Rasmussen. Based on their recent performances, any of the
men could take out the singles job.

Gade Christensen, All England champion and Grand Prix Finals
runner-up, is the most consistent player and nobody doubts his
ability to win the World Championships, which will succeed the
Sudirman Cup.

Olympic gold medalist Hoyer-Larsen -- at 32 the oldest player
in the tournament -- may have lost some of his dazzle but is
still dangerous. The 1997 World Championship title holder
Rasmussen is said to have recovered from an injury and is set for
the two-week-long competitions.

Lack practice

Denmark's only concern is that its players lack practice
sessions as a team, because the top singles players live abroad
to evade high income tax.

Hoyer-Larsen, Rasmussen and Stuer Lauridsen have lived in
England for the past two years, while Gade Christensen lives in
Switzerland.

"We have decided in principle that we can't say they can't
move, but we are definitely very much against it, if it is not
something which will develop a player in a positive way," Lund
told World Badminton.

In the women's singles, world number three Camilla Martin will
face intense South Korean opposition from number 16 Kim Ji-hyun,
who is known for her fighting spirit and technical skills.

Denmark relies on its world number five pair of Jens Eriksen
and Jesper Larsen in the men's doubles. South Korea will field
either a world number eight duo of Lee Dong-soo and Yoo Yong-sung
or their number 10 compatriots of Ha Tae-kwon and Kim Dong-moon.

The Korean men's doubles teams are well-known for their fast
drives at the net and jumping smashes. They are also accustomed
to energy-sapping rallies.

In the women's doubles, Denmark has four world-class pairs,
compared to one from South Korea and none from Sweden.

Denmark must be cautious in choosing between their number
three pair Marlene Thomsen and Rikke Olsen, number four Ann
Jorgensen and Majken Vange, number five Helene Kirkegaard and
Pemille Harder and number seven Mette Schjoldager and Ann-Lou
Jorgensen, because it will take on All England champions Ra
Kyung-min and Chung Jae-hee, who are ranked eleventh in the
world.

South Korea appears to have gained a slight upper hand in the
mixed doubles, thanks to its world ranked number one team of Kim
Dong-moon and Ra Kyung-min, the resilient All England champions,
and the world number six combination of Ha Tae-kwon and Chung
Jae-hee.

The Danes will parade world number two Michael Soogard and
Rikke Olsen and world number five Jon Holst-Christensen and Ann
Jorgensen.

But Denmark remains doubtful about whether to field Soogard,
who was recently diagnosed with meningitis. He has been
discharged from hospital, but is yet to regain his form for the
Sudirman Cup.

South Korea head coach Kim Moon-soo expressed worries about
his chance in the singles matches, but was upbeat about his
players' chances in overwhelming the Danes in the doubles
matches, due to his world-class teams. (yan)