kwun
08-25-2003, 07:27 PM
Star Sports Onlnie
Danes say they have overtaken Malaysians
BY RAJES PAUL
KUALA LUMPUR: The Danes no longer have fear playing against the Malaysian badminton doubles pairs. In fact they are now looking at ending the Asian domination in the Thomas Cup Finals and Athens Olympics next year.
Danish assistant national coach Jan Joergensen said yesterday that their pairs had moved one step ahead of the Malaysians. But he conceded that the Koreans had the best combinations followed by those from Indonesia.
“But if Indonesia split their top pair of Candra Wijaya-Sigit Budiarto for good, we have the better overall strength than them,” said Joergensen.
In this week's Indonesian Open at the Batam Island, Candra will pair up with Halim Haryanto while Sigit wilL forge a partnership with Tri Kusharyanto. The Danes have given the Indonesian Open a skip for security reasons.
Joergensen is now in Malaysia with 17 players and they have made the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara here as their base to prepare for the Malaysian Open, which will be played in Kota Kinabalu next week.
Joergensen has every reason to feel proud of his men's double players.
At the World Championships in Birmingham early this month, Jonas Rasmussen-Lars Paaske defeated the 1997 winners Candra-Sigit in the final. In the Singapore Open, which ended last Sunday, Martin Lundgaard Hansen-Jens Eriksen defeated Rasmussen-Paaske to take the title.
“The standard of our men's doubles is very high. We did not expect Jonas and Lars to win the world title. And at the Singapore Open, we had another pair beating them. Our players are getting better and better,” said Joergensen, who is in charge of the doubles players.
On the strength of the Malaysians, he said: “Choong (Tan Fook)-Lee (Wan Wah) did well in the Singapore Open.”
Taan Fook-Wan Wah were beaten in three gameS by Rasmussen-Paaske in the semi-finals.
“That's their best game I have seen so far. They were fast against Flandi Limpele and Eng Hian (Tan Fook-Wan Wah beat the Indonesia-born England pair in the quarter-finals),” said Joergensen.
“But Chan (Chong Ming)-Chew (Choon Eng) are slower and they are not that strong. Our pairs have to be more cautious when they play against Choong-Lee.”
Joergensen said that the decision to split their pairs two years ago had brought success.
“We were criticised for splitting the pairs. But we were aware that if we were to compete with the Asians, we have to be fast at the front and the back,” he said.
“We paired up players who were equally fast. We changed our more defensive style to a faster attacking game. It has worked out very well.”
While the men's doubles pairs had hogged the limelight, Joergensen said that he was also pleased with the commitment showed by the men's singles players.
“We have several good players who are very competitive. They bring the best out of each other,” he said.
On the chances of his team in the Malaysian Open, Joergensen said: “We hope our players will do their best. It will be good to have our men's doubles pair in the final again.”
Lundgaard Hansen-Eriksen have returned home and the Danes will bank on Rasmussen-Paaske for honours.
Among the men's singles players for the Malaysian Open are Peter Gade-Christensen, Peter Rasmussen and Anders Boesen. The women's chalenge will be spearheaded by Camilla Martin.
Danes say they have overtaken Malaysians
BY RAJES PAUL
KUALA LUMPUR: The Danes no longer have fear playing against the Malaysian badminton doubles pairs. In fact they are now looking at ending the Asian domination in the Thomas Cup Finals and Athens Olympics next year.
Danish assistant national coach Jan Joergensen said yesterday that their pairs had moved one step ahead of the Malaysians. But he conceded that the Koreans had the best combinations followed by those from Indonesia.
“But if Indonesia split their top pair of Candra Wijaya-Sigit Budiarto for good, we have the better overall strength than them,” said Joergensen.
In this week's Indonesian Open at the Batam Island, Candra will pair up with Halim Haryanto while Sigit wilL forge a partnership with Tri Kusharyanto. The Danes have given the Indonesian Open a skip for security reasons.
Joergensen is now in Malaysia with 17 players and they have made the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara here as their base to prepare for the Malaysian Open, which will be played in Kota Kinabalu next week.
Joergensen has every reason to feel proud of his men's double players.
At the World Championships in Birmingham early this month, Jonas Rasmussen-Lars Paaske defeated the 1997 winners Candra-Sigit in the final. In the Singapore Open, which ended last Sunday, Martin Lundgaard Hansen-Jens Eriksen defeated Rasmussen-Paaske to take the title.
“The standard of our men's doubles is very high. We did not expect Jonas and Lars to win the world title. And at the Singapore Open, we had another pair beating them. Our players are getting better and better,” said Joergensen, who is in charge of the doubles players.
On the strength of the Malaysians, he said: “Choong (Tan Fook)-Lee (Wan Wah) did well in the Singapore Open.”
Taan Fook-Wan Wah were beaten in three gameS by Rasmussen-Paaske in the semi-finals.
“That's their best game I have seen so far. They were fast against Flandi Limpele and Eng Hian (Tan Fook-Wan Wah beat the Indonesia-born England pair in the quarter-finals),” said Joergensen.
“But Chan (Chong Ming)-Chew (Choon Eng) are slower and they are not that strong. Our pairs have to be more cautious when they play against Choong-Lee.”
Joergensen said that the decision to split their pairs two years ago had brought success.
“We were criticised for splitting the pairs. But we were aware that if we were to compete with the Asians, we have to be fast at the front and the back,” he said.
“We paired up players who were equally fast. We changed our more defensive style to a faster attacking game. It has worked out very well.”
While the men's doubles pairs had hogged the limelight, Joergensen said that he was also pleased with the commitment showed by the men's singles players.
“We have several good players who are very competitive. They bring the best out of each other,” he said.
On the chances of his team in the Malaysian Open, Joergensen said: “We hope our players will do their best. It will be good to have our men's doubles pair in the final again.”
Lundgaard Hansen-Eriksen have returned home and the Danes will bank on Rasmussen-Paaske for honours.
Among the men's singles players for the Malaysian Open are Peter Gade-Christensen, Peter Rasmussen and Anders Boesen. The women's chalenge will be spearheaded by Camilla Martin.