WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009 HAS BEGIN

World Championship 2009 has started today. Will the 2 most fierce TITANS will be seeing each other in the FINAL? Who will best among the best?
Will it be the OLYMPIC champion or will it be The WORLD NO.1?
The Biggest event for this month. Just wait and see, who will be in the final.
As for Malaysians, be prepared cause China is coming with a new surprise for the world of badminton again. No more food poisoning as we bring our own cook over to India.

The Star 09/08/09
National doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky: “We had to bring two cooks after our experience at the Indian Open in April. After this, me may even have to bring our own scooters so that we can arrive at our destination on time.”


The Star - 10/08/09
Lin Dan is superior to Chong Wei, says Yongbo

EVERYONE wants to watch a men’s singles match between world number one Lee Chong Wei and China’s Lin Dan in the World Championships.

And a confident China chief coach Li Yongbo says that the two-time world champion Lin Dan will win the title if both are playing to their best of abilities.

“Currently, Lin Dan and Chong Wei are the best two men’s singles players in the world. But my pick is on Lin Dan,” said Yongbo at a rare press conference appearance yesterday.

“In every way of the game, I think Lin Dan is superior to Chong Wei. But if Lin Dan is not playing to his true form and Chong Wei does extremely well, then the match will favour the Malaysian,” he said.

There is a possibility that Chong Wei and Lin Dan will clash in the semi-finals of the world meet barring any upsets in the early round.

Chong Wei’s early stumbling blocks are Vietnamese Nguyen Tien Minh and Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia while Lin Dan should get past his compatriot Bao Chunlai of China and Denmark’s evergreen shuttler Peter-Gade Christensen to set up a clash with Chong Wei.

The rivalry between Chong Wei and Lin Dan has been going on for a while. Chong Wei pulled off an amazing win over Lin Dan in the semi-final tie of the Thomas Cup Finals but Lin Dan showed he was one step ahead by tearing the Malaysian apart in the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the All-England.

Yongbo took a jibe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on the draw, which has put Lin Dan and Bao in the same quarter: “I do not want to say a lot on the draw. This has happened so frequently that one has to just accept it.”

On the overall expectation of China in the world meet, Yongbo said: “Because of excellent past records in the world, the expectations are always high on the team. More than winning, it is my hope that all my players will live up to the expectations of them.” Yongbo, who was quite jovial throughout the 30-minute press conference, was very generous in praising India yesterday.

Firstly, he commented on Saina Nehwal’s achievement in beating the Chinese players en route to winning the Indonesian Open and then, he praised the the hard work put up by the organisers to provide the best security for the players.

“I have seen Saina improving since winning the world junior title. I hope she will do well here as it will certainly generate a lot of attention for badminton in this country,” he said.


Fearless Indonesians

INDONESIA’S team manager Luis Pongoh said that they would not follow England’s pull-out of the meet because of a terrorist threat.

In jest, he said: “We, the Indonesians, are so used to this. Just last month, there was a bombing incident by a terrorist group in Jakarta. No where is safe.

“But we respect England’s decision. It all depends on the team and how they look at the situation. For us, life goes on.”


Harian Metro - L.C.W is Ready
Mengenai pemain nombor satu dunia Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Misbun berkata pemain itu tidak menghadapi sebarang tekanan walaupun daripada musuh ketatnya dari China, Lin Dan, pemain pilihan kelima kejohanan.

“Saya hanya mahu dia memberi tumpuan kepada persembahannya dalam kejohanan ini dan bukan terhadap Lin Dan. Dia (Lin Dan) hanya salah seorang daripada pemain di kejohanan ini dan dia bukan pemain unggul,” katanya.

Misbun menjelaskan semua pemain negara bersedia dari segi mental dan kecergasan untuk mengharungi kejohanan tanpa rasa tertekan.

Harian Metro - England Pull Off from World Badminton
HYDERABAD: England menarik diri daripada Kejohanan Badminton Dunia yang bermula hari ini berikutan kebimbangan kemungkinan skuad lapan pemain mereka menjadi sasaran pengganas.

Keputusan itu dibuat berikutan laporan media mengenai ancaman pengganas Lashkar-e-Taiba terhadap kejohanan itu, menerusi kenyataan yang dibuat oleh Badminton England.

“Berikutan laporan itu, Badminton England berpendapat mereka tidak boleh mengambil risiko apabila membabitkan keselamatan pasukan ini,” kata kenyataan itu.

Ketua Eksekutif Badminton England, Adrian Christy, berkata : “Ia adalah satu keputusan yang amat sukar dan kami tidak memandang ringan perkara itu.
“Selepas Sukan Olimpik, ini adalah kejohanan dunia paling berprestij, tetapi kami tidak mahu mengambil risiko untuk membahayakan nyawa lapan pemain kami, jurulatih serta kakitangan dalam apa yang kami anggap sebagai keadaan tidak menentu.”
Christy menambah: “Kami amat berpuas hati dengan tindakan pantas BWF (Persekutuan Badmimton Dunia) dan jawatankuasa penganjur mengenai kebimbangan berhubung ancaman itu.

“Kami mempertimbangkan dengan teliti sebarang komen yang dibuat pihak berkuasa polis tempatan dan kami sedar bahawa mereka turut memikirkan mengenai kepentingan semua pemain.

“Kami turut mendengar nasihat Jabatan Hal Ehwal Luar Negara dan Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Britain. Kami sering berdialog dengan mereka dalam tempoh beberapa hari kebelakangan ini.

“Kesimpulannya, keselamatan adalah amat penting dan sehubungan itu, dengan rasa penuh kesal pemain pasukan itu terpaksa pulang ke tanah air serta-merta.”

Pengarah prestasi skuad England, Ian Moss berkata: “Keputusan yang mengecewakan memandangkan kami sudah membuat persediaan di kem latihan di Doha, Qatar minggu lalu.

“Atlit kami jelas sudah bersedia untuk kejohanan ini, tetapi pada akhirnya, keselamatan atlit menjadi keutamaan berbanding prestasi pertandingan.

“Ini adalah keputusan sebulat suara skuad ini dan tidak menggambarkan usaha dibuat jawatankuasa penganjur untuk menyediakan persekitaran paling selamat untuk semua atlit.”

Lashkar-e-Taiba yang bermaksud Tentera Suci dalam bahasa Urdu adalah pertubuhan yang berpangkalan di Pakistan, menentang penguasaan India di Kashmir.

Mereka dikaitkan dengan pelbagai insiden keganasan di India termasuk serangan bom di Delhi pada Oktober 2005 yang membunuh lebih 60 orang dan dituduh mempunyai kaitan dengan serangan bersenjata di Parlimen India pada Disember 2001.

Terbaru, mereka dikaitkan dengan serangan pengganas Mumbai pada November 2008 yang menyebabkan sekurang-kurangnya 188 maut. - AFP