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Overseas Chinese still main threats

Updated:2008-06-27 14:37 | Source:Chinadaily.com.cn

Although Dane Tine Rasmussen has shone in the past year and is regarded as chief nemesis to China's women's badminton players at the Beijing Games, a group of overseas Chinese also have the ability to become giant killers.

Hong Kong's Wang Chen, a former China national team member, is seen as the biggest threat to the home shuttlers at the Beijing Games. [Agencies]

Chinese or overseas Chinese occupy all positions in the world's top 10, except for those held by world No 3 Rasmussen and No 10 Wong Mew Choo of Malaysia.

Xie Xinfang and Lu Lan are ranked No 1 and 2 respectively and make up China's chief gold hopes.

Compatriot Zhu Lin and veteran Zhang Ning are No 4 and No 7 and will have to fight for the last ticket to the Games.

Former Chinese Pi Hongyan, who has represented France for the past seven years, remains as world No 5 thanks to her experience and consistent performances.

Born in Chongqing in 1979, Pi was once called into the Chinese national team and also won third place at the National Games in 2001 before moving to France the same year.

Pi played badminton for France at the 2004 Athens Olympics, losing to Seo Yoon-hee of South Korea in the round of 32.

She won the Aviva Open in Singapore in 2006 and 2007, as well as the singles title at the French National Badminton Championships.

She also won the bronze medal at the 2008 European Badminton Championships.

Another overseas Chinese, Xu Huaiwen, born in Guizhou in 1975, became a member of the German national team in 2003.

Xu played at the 2004 Summer Olympics, losing to Zhou Mi of China (now a member of Hong Kong association) in the round of 32.

The year 2006 began as a successful one for Xu, with a win in the Swiss Open in January and the European Championships women's singles in April.

But Xu was defeated by Xie in the semi-final match of the World Championships the same year.

She bounced back to win gold at the 2008 European Badminton Championships.

Another former Chinese Yao Jie, now a member of the Dutch team, was once a top ranker but is now languishing at world No 18.

"Though they are not at their prime time any more, they are still able to pull off upsets against Chinese," said China's head coach Li Yongbo. "We know our players very well so we can not look down upon them."

Threats from Hong Kong

Among the top 10, China boasts two stronger opponents - Zhou Mi and Wang Cheng - both former key players in the national team but now playing for Hong Kong.

Former world No 1 Zhou joined the Hong Kong team early last year in hope of competing at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Zhou was struggling with injury before her move but showed strong signs of regaining past form in early 2008.

She has so far grabbed two wins and one runner-up finish at the India Grand Prix, Korea Super Series and Singapore Super Series respectively.

Wang is also a former Chinese national player but fell out with the team in 1999 when she was dropped from China's Uber Cup line-ups.

Wang won the women's singles title at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha when she represented Hong Kong, knocking out China's world No 1 Xie in the quarterfinals.

Wang has been the nemisis of Chinese aces on frequent occasions.

Apart from the Doha win, she also beat Olympic champion Zhang Ning on her way to the 2007 World Championships final.

"Among all the overseas Chinese, Wang is the most dangerous one to us," said Li Yongbo.

On the men's side, seldom do overseas Chinese challenge world No 1 Lin Dan.

But Li Mao, the South Korean team's Chinese coach, might have some something to say about that.

Li left China's national team in 1998 after a row with current head coach Li Yongbo and joined South Korea, where he developed a number of world-class singles players.

But Li left for Malaysia after the Athens Olympics and again produced one of the world's best shuttlers in Lee Chong Wei, now a genuine title contender for the Beijing Games.

Li made a sudden return to South Korea last year and his first coaching highlight was January's Korea Open Super Series final.

His student Lee Hyun-il defeated Lin Dan to win the tournament, while Li himself was involved in an on-court clash with Lin, in which both exchanged verbal abuse before Lin tried to throw his racket at Li.

Editor : ZhangXueying

Opening ceremony of Beijing Olympics