China was excluded by Asian Games from the beginning. When China first joined the AG in 1974, it claimed 6 golds out of 7 in badminton. At that time, China was a mystery to everyone. After that, China continued grabbing more than half of the golds in badminton. But recently, they failed continuously, while they became dominant in AG as a whole (all events). They even didn't win any gold in badminton in Japan last time. Why? actually it is the reason that nowadays, China is too strong in sports. In early 70s and 80s, China needed the golds to beat Japan because that time Japan was the most powerful country in Asia sports. After mid 80s, China can win more than double, triple golds than Japan, so there is no need for badminton to win. Usually under Chinese system, the head coach has task to win some number of golds to keep his job, especially for WC and OG, but for AG, there is no such task at all. Even Li YB said, there is no task for him and badminton team to shot a target. The ping-pong(table tennis) team of China even sends their 2nd tier players to the AG. That's the reason, don't expect China win big at AG. Even themselves claimed AG just a warm-up exercise for OG.
for china men team, this DOHA AG is very important and they want to win , the failed totally in the last AG 2002 and 1998
The same gold medal is much much valuable for Indonesia than China. Last AG in Korea, both China and Indonesia won 2 golds. While China, as a whole won 150 golds. So China badminton turned total number of golds from 148 to 150, just 1% increase. While Indonesia as a whole won only 4 golds. So Indonesia badminton's 2 golds made total number of golds doubled, that's a 100% increase (from 2 golds to 4 golds). So if badminton in Indonesia takes 50% total pride of their sports, while badminton in China only 1%. Now the question is whether Indonesia's 50% can beat China's 1% this time in AG?
I think both China men's team and women's team failed continuously in AG. They didn't won any gold in Japan last time. Women team recovered a little bit in Korea while men's team failed even further. Some politics got involved also last time. Actually politics got involved every time. Last time in Korea, Lin Dan was world number 1, while Bao was also in better form than Xia XZ and Chen Hong. But Xia and Chen got the chances to play. So they played without confidence and bigger pressure to prove they deserved to play. It's like Bao CL this time. It should be Chen Hong to play, if not Chen Hong, Chen Jin also ranked ahead of Bao. It is just politics that Bao got the chance. So he must fail because even himself cannot justify himself. Anyway, AG champion is not that valuable for the Chinese players either. Zhou Mi got the last time AG champion, but she cannot get anything back from this champion. While WC champion Gong RN was given a job because she's the world champion. So in China, WC is much valuable than AG. There are too many Asian champions in China.
2cents, i agree. If LYB is really serious, he would pick chen hong this time. Chen hong has been on a roll lately, 2nd only to LD but told to sit out the AG.
Be serious! I don't think Team China take AG lightly in badminton event, just look at the players China is sending! In US, we call that the DREAM TEAM. Chen Hong was excluded may due to some political reason but is Chen Hong any better than Lin Dan/Bao/Chen Jin? I don't think so. I think Li Yongbo really want to win big this time as AG is the only major event not under his belt in terms of winning aside from Olympic and World Championship. If Malaysia win any gold then I agree the Chinese doesn't take AG seriously
Sorry, you have made little mistake here -- INA only got 1 GOLD from Bdm in Busan AG/02 (through Individual MS --> TH) ; CHN 2 Golds and KOR 4 Golds. It's very true badminton is the urgent sport to lift-up INA at international world-sport stage because not many sport division that INA can talk too much in world-scope. Different side for CHN of course, CHN's sport-level is Olympic arena not AG contest. Just wondering me, if CHN never assuming AG is one of important event to show-off their force so why LYB still sent top-list shuttlers like LD-CJ-CY/FHF-ZN-XXF,etc. and not sent CHong/CYu-LuLan-and another youngsters with eagerly to get some competing-experience??? AG GOLD esp.for bdm basically is also prestigious one because bdm powerhouse still concentrate in ASIA so far. Probably bdm in AG just like mini WChamp or OG minus DEN/ENG. But without them it's not giving big effect too much for competition itself, example : Olympic Gold Medalist (from Barcelona to Athens) is almost all coming from ASIA countries. DEN's Poul Erik Hoyer-Larsen is the only one shuttler outside ASIA who win GOLD in Atlanta 1996. ASIA have booked 18 GOLDS of 19 until Athens/04.
i have stated Chen hong is 2nd to LD base on recent record. I think CH is better suited for this AG than BCL. Chen hong had beaten TH in the recent world cup. Chen hong beat BCL to win 06 china open. BCL has poor record against TH. As LYB had stated, AG is important in the sense that it will give the young bloods more tournament experience in preparation of 2008 OG. LYB will do anything to maximize the chance to maximize medals in 2008 OG. Yes, it's nice to beat last AG record but this time around, not at the expense of OG success.
but if you read this article from Indonesia: Despite poor show, badminton remains Indonesia's backbone Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Its shine is dimming but badminton remains the biggest hope for the country to extend its Asian Games gold medal winning streak. Even with a modest target of four gold medals, national shuttlers are tipped to contribute two golds in the men's and mixed doubles. Such a target, however, maybe too ambitious in view of the shuttlers' poor showing in recent tournaments. Doubles coordinator Christian Hadinata said that although national mixed doubles of Flandy Limpele/Vita Marissa managed to win the Japan Open, beating compatriots Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir, the result was incomparable to the shuttlers' failure in the World Badminton Championships in Madrid in September where defending champions Taufik Hidayat and Nova/Lilyana had been expected to reclaim their titles. "We really hope for a good result at the Asian Games as a year-end gift," he said. "The Asian Games is like a mini world championships with Asia's best shuttlers from China, South Korea and Malaysia and dark horses from Thailand and Singapore gather to prove who is the best in the continent. "Winning golds at the Asian Games is like proving that we still exist on the world stage." Indonesia is waiting for the Asian Badminton Confederation's response over its protest on the men's team drawing. The drawing divided the nine participating countries into three polls, unlike the usual two, and Indonesia is put in Group A along with powerhouse China and India. South Korea and Malaysia are top seeded in Group B and C, respectively. Winners in each group will automatically earn semifinal slots while runners-up will have to fight for the remaining berth. "We know that all four countries of Indonesia, China, South Korea and Malaysia have an equal chance in the men's team to reach the final," Christian said. "Such a policy should help boost our shuttlers performance to get into the last four." Indonesia lost the men's team gold to South Korea in Busan Asiad four years ago but won in the men's singles and men's doubles, which were two of the country's four golds.
Hmmm, there must be some 'human error' about above Jakarta Post's article. You may check past tournament results on ABC's web : www.badmintonasia.org which 100% is very true. Individual MD Gold won by KOR's pair Lee Dong Soo/Yoo Young Sung and INA's got Bronze through Halim Heryanto/Trikus Haryanto.
'Posh and Becks' of badminton look for Asian glory Agence France-Presse Doha, November 29, 2006 The 'Posh and Becks' of badminton Lin Dan and fiancee Xie Xinfang will be looking to make up for China's disappointment at the last Asian Games by inspiring the team to a cleansweep in Doha. Both have had a great year, winning their respective singles world titles in Madrid, and Asian Games glory would prove the proverbial icing on the wedding cake. China underperformed in the last Games in Busan taking away just two titles when they were aiming for a cleansweep and coach Li Yongbo is well aware that while the fortunes of rivals Malaysia and Indonesia have dipped there is no fiercer battle than that of winning Asian bragging rights in badminton. "We have improved a lot in the past few years to the extent that we are now the strongest," said Li, who like any good manager looking for a get out claimed a reason for their failure in Busan was down to the refereeing. "However our record at the Asian Games is not so good and we are looking to improve on it." While some back in China are merely hoping for a small improvement on last time out Li is demanding more. "We won two titles last time now we want at least three but in fact I want more like four or five," commented Li, whose team took five of the six world titles on show in Madrid. While Li is demanding an enormous effort from his team, the managers of the other major rivals for the gold in the team competitions are playing hopes down. "We have high expectations but it could be quite difficult to achieve them because China and Korea are around and most of their players are at the same level," said Malaysia's Misbun Bin Sedek, coach of Hashim Muhammad Hafiz. "Lin Dan is one step above." Lin and Xie should be hot favourites for their respective titles. Lin, 23, was a member of the bronze medal team four years ago but since then his career has reached dizzy heights. The world title apart, he also turned in a phenomenal performance in the All England Open this year when he took the trophy despite injuring his knee during the tournament. Aside from that the soldier - who when relaxing enjoys buying clothes for Xie - is a real showman on court, showing untypical emotion for a Chinese sports star by ripping his shirt off at the end of a match and throwing it to the spectators. Gunning for him, though, will be former world number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, who was disappointing at the world championships and is keen to redeem himself. "I lost in the last eight to Bao Chunlai. I was the world number one at the time and maybe I felt the pressure and that is not good for me. "Now I am the second seed I feel no pressure," he added. One man bidding to show he is not on the wane is Olympic and Asian Games champion Taufik Hidayat, who is at a lowly 12th in the world - however hopes are not high. "We hope Taufik can get a medal," said Indonesia team manager Lius Pongoh. "We're counting on him doing well but it is difficult to say whether he can challenge for the title." Lin's fiancee Xie is a little more sober on court but the two-time world champion - whose nickname is 'Beauty' - knows that her major challenge to add the Asia title to her cabinet rests on beating her compatriot, Olympic champion Zhang Ning. Xie - who enjoys singing and shopping in her spare time - is distinctly modest about her chances. "I still think Zhang Ning is the best player on the planet," said the 25-year-old. "She is much more consistent than I am and that is something I have to learn." -------- hahaha, posh and becks, at least this 'posh' can play the sport
China to Probe Allegations of Beating and Sexual Harassment from The Star--Friday Dec 15, 2006 CHINA will investigate allegations of beating and harassment within their national cue sports team that have embarrassed the country and infuriated Asian Games team officials. Last week, 19-year-old Zhou Mengmeng lost the women’s eight-ball pool semi-final and withdrew from the bronze medal playoff, later telling journalists she had quit because her male teammate Tian Pengfei (pic) had beaten and harassed her. Mengmeng returned to China on Wednesday with some team members and a phalanx of sport officials, the Beijing News reported yesterday but Pengfei was not on the same plane. “We will be thoroughly investigating this matter,” Cui Zhiqiang, China cue sports chief, told the Beijing News. “Once the Asian Games are over, we will be collectively discussing this matter, and if there are any punishments, the sport administration will advise through official channels.” China cue sports deputy director Wang Liwei said that Pengfei had hit Mengmeng but played down the incident and said there had been no sexual harassment, state media reported this week. “Zhou was spending more time wandering around the sports hall chatting with foreign players than preparing for her matches,” Liwei was quoted as saying in the China Daily on Tuesday. He added that Pengfei had tried to persuade her to prepare for the upcoming competition and the two had scuffled. “Zhou was by no means beaten black and blue as she claims,” Liwei said. “For example, Zhou’s nails were not broken by Tian, but were the result of Zhou hitting Tian.” – Reuters this is an important issue.. do this happen to china badminton team..? if i wasn't wrong.. an athlete in athletics from china also been canned by her coach.. i've forgotten her name ady~ use this kind of way to punish athlete.. i think this is not d best way to pressuring them
