YONEX-SUNRISE BWF WORLD SUPER SERIES MASTERS FINALS 2008

THE race for the total prize money of US$500,000 has been thrown wide open after China withdrew all its players who qualified for the YONEX-Sunrise BWF World Super Series Masters Finals 2008 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on 18-21 December.

However, China’s withdrawal has benefited hosts Malaysia and home fans would be happy to know that Wong Choong Hann and Wong Mew Choo have now qualified for the inaugural Finals.

Badminton fans in India will also be delighted with the fact that teenage sensation Saina Nehwal will take her place to vie for the US$40,000 winners cheque. Japan, Indonesia and Thailand will also be smiling as they get additional spots in the Finals to be played at the Likas Indoor Stadium.

Citing a hectic calendar, risk of aggravating injuries and an upcoming three-month training camp as reasons for their withdrawal, the withdrawal was conveyed on Thursday to the Badminton World Federation by China Badminton Association Secretary-General Liu Fengyan.

Several other withdrawals have also been received, notably from reigning Olympic champions Lee Yong Dae-Lee Hyo Jung of Korea in the mixed doubles, former world champions Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen in the men’s doubles, former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat and Japan’s Olympic Games semi-finalists Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna.

Among the big names in the Chinese armada that withdrew are 2008 Beijing Olympic Games men’s singles champion Lin Dan, men’s doubles silver medallists Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng and women’s doubles gold medallists Du Jing-Yu Yang. In the women’s singles Zhu Lin and Lu Lan are the notable absentees as Olympic champion Zhang Ning has retired from international badminton to concentrate on a coaching career.

BWF Secretary-General Stuart Borrie remained optimistic of the quality of the competition.

“We are disappointed that some of the top players will not be competing in this inaugural event. However, we still have a world class field of players including Chong Wei, Peter Gade, Markis (Kido)-Hendra (Setiawan), Yong dae-Jae Sung, Tine (Rasmussen) and Zhou Mi to look out for,” said Borrie.

“The BWF is confident that the tournament will be a success and look forward to a great week of badminton ahead of us.

“We also would like to record our appreciation to the BA of Malaysia, Sabah Badminton Association, sponsors Yonex-Sunrise and other sponsors who have been working tirelessly to make the tournament a success.”

The Finals is limited to the top eight players in the Super Series ranking with each country permitted a maximum of two entries.

In the singles, each winner will receive US$40,000 while the runner-up will receive US$20,000 each. In fact, each player or pair who has qualified for the Finals is guaranteed of prize money with quarter-finalists in the singles receiving US$4,500 each and US$5,000 for each pair in the last eight.

The winner of the men’s doubles will pocket US$42,000 while the runners-up will earn US$20,000.

In the men’s singles, Chen Jin and Lin Dan will be replaced by England’s Andrew Smith and Choong Hann while Zhu Lin and Lu Lan will be replaced by Mew Choo and Saina in the women’s singles. Japan’s Yu Hirayama will replace Korea’s Hwang Hye Youn as well.

In the men’s doubles, Cai-Fu will be replaced by Denmark’s Simon Mollyhus-Anders Kristiansen while Paaske-Rasmussen will be replaced by either Korea’s Cho Gun Woo-Yoo Yeon Seong or England;s Robert Blair-Chris Adcock.

In the women’s doubles Du Jing-Yu Yang and Zhao Yunlei-Cheng Shu will be replaced by Thailand’s Duang Anong Aroonkesorn-Kunchala Voravitchitchaikul and Indonesia’s Jo Novita-Greysia Polii respectively while Korea’s Lee Kyung Won-Lee Hyo Jung will be replaced by Netherlands’ Judith Meulendijks-Yao Jie. Earlier, Japan’s Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna were replaced by the Canada-Germany combination of Charmaine Reid-Nicole Grether.

Indonesia’s Flandy Limpele-Vita Marissa also step in to replace Xie Zhongbo-Zhang Yawen while another Thai pair, Songphon Anugritayawon-Kunchala will replace He Hanbin-Yu Yang in the mixed doubles.

The qualifiers are as follows:

Men’s singles: Lee Chong Wei (MAS), Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA), Joachim Persson (DEN), Peter Gade (DEN), Taufik Hidayat (INA), Chan Yan Kit (HKG), Andrew Smith (ENG) and Wong Choong Hann (MAS).

Women’s singles: Zhou Mi (HKG), Tine Rasmussen (DEN), Wang Chen (HKG), Pi Hongyan (FRA), Xu Huaiwen (GER), Wong Mew Choo (MAS), Saina Nehwal (IND) and Yu Hirayama (JPN).

Men’s doubles: Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (INA), Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari (MAS), Lee Yong Dae-Jung Jae Sung (KOR), Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (DEN), Candra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan (INA-USA), Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (MAS), Simon Mollyhus-Anders Kristiansen (DEN) and Cho Gun Woo-Yoo Yeon Seong (to be confirmed).

Women’s doubles: Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui (MAS), Lilyana Natsir-Vita Marissa (INA), Kamilla Rytter Juhl-Lena Frier Kristiansen (DEN), Ha Jung Eun-Kim Min Jung (KOR), Charmaine Reid-Nicole Grether (CAN-GER), Duang Anong Aroonkesorn-Kunchala Voravitchitchaikul (THA), Jo Novita-Greysia Polii (INA) and Judith Meulendijks-Yao Jie (NED).

Mixed doubles: Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (INA), Thomas Laybourn-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (DEN), Anthony Clark-Donna Kellogg (ENG), Robert Blair-Imogen Bakier (ENG-SCO), Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thoungthongkam (THA), Songphon Anugritayawon-Kunchala Voravitchitchaikul (THA), Yoo Yeon Seong-Kim Min Jung (KOR, to be confirmed) and Flandy Limpele-Vita Marissa (INA).