kwun
05-20-2005, 12:30 AM
INTERNATIONAL BADMINTON FEDERATION
Badminton: IBF ANNOUNCES 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
For Immediate Release
Thursday 19 May 2005
The International Badminton Federation has today announced the first tranche of players who have automatically qualified for the 2005 IBF World Championships, to be held in Anaheim, USA, from 15-21 August.
The qualified players have been taken from the world ranking list of Thursday 19 May, and a total of 53 countries are currently eligible to compete across the five events.
Just three of badminton’s World and Olympic gold medal-winning combinations do not feature in this first list of players – namely world titleholders Xia Xuanze from China (men’s singles) and Korea’s Kim Dong Moon & Ra Kyung Min (mixed doubles). Athens Olympic men’s doubles champions Kim and Ha Tae Kwon are also missing from the line-up.
These badminton heavyweights would need IBF wildcard allocations if they were to have any chance of competing
At 18th position in the world ranking, Xia has failed to make the cut, so will need IBF to grant him a wildcard place if he’s to have any chance of defending his crown. And, after almost nine months away from the international circuit – until their resurgence at the Sudirman Cup (world team championships) in Beijing last week – mixed doubles titleholders Kim Dong Moon and Ra Kyung Min would also need a wildcard allocation if they were feature in Anaheim.
Both IBF and USA Badminton have a wildcard entry in each of the five events under the World Championship regulations. USA will almost certainly use theirs on American players, but IBF will to determine who the worthy contenders are for their wildcard allocations.
USA will be holding trials for their wildcard places, while IBF have until Thursday 2 June to make their selections.
After his fine form at the Sudirman Cup last week In Beijing, China’s world number one Lin Dan will certainly be one to watch for the men’s singles title in the build up to this 14th edition of the World Championships, which will be staged for the first time in the USA at the impressive Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.
World and Olympic champion Zhang Ning – who turns 30 today and who clinched the winning point for China at the Sudirman Cup final on Sunday – will be looking for another major title to add to her impressive collection, and is joined by teammates Xie Xingfang and Zhou Mi in the women’s singles list. Ex-Chinese shuttlers Pi Hongyan (FRA) and Yao Jie (NED) are Europe’s highest-ranked hopes.
With their maximum four pairs eligible to play in the event, China looks set to dominate the women’s doubles once again, but the men’s doubles could be an open affair, with pairs from Denmark, China and Indonesia all performing well in Beijing last week.
This latest world ranking list sees the Olympic mixed doubles finalists, Nathan Robertson & Gail Emms and Zhang Jun & Gao Ling, topping the ranking list – perhaps an indication for another rematch in August…?
National Associations have until 2 June to confirm whether their players in this first wave of invitations will compete at the event.
Badminton: IBF ANNOUNCES 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
For Immediate Release
Thursday 19 May 2005
The International Badminton Federation has today announced the first tranche of players who have automatically qualified for the 2005 IBF World Championships, to be held in Anaheim, USA, from 15-21 August.
The qualified players have been taken from the world ranking list of Thursday 19 May, and a total of 53 countries are currently eligible to compete across the five events.
Just three of badminton’s World and Olympic gold medal-winning combinations do not feature in this first list of players – namely world titleholders Xia Xuanze from China (men’s singles) and Korea’s Kim Dong Moon & Ra Kyung Min (mixed doubles). Athens Olympic men’s doubles champions Kim and Ha Tae Kwon are also missing from the line-up.
These badminton heavyweights would need IBF wildcard allocations if they were to have any chance of competing
At 18th position in the world ranking, Xia has failed to make the cut, so will need IBF to grant him a wildcard place if he’s to have any chance of defending his crown. And, after almost nine months away from the international circuit – until their resurgence at the Sudirman Cup (world team championships) in Beijing last week – mixed doubles titleholders Kim Dong Moon and Ra Kyung Min would also need a wildcard allocation if they were feature in Anaheim.
Both IBF and USA Badminton have a wildcard entry in each of the five events under the World Championship regulations. USA will almost certainly use theirs on American players, but IBF will to determine who the worthy contenders are for their wildcard allocations.
USA will be holding trials for their wildcard places, while IBF have until Thursday 2 June to make their selections.
After his fine form at the Sudirman Cup last week In Beijing, China’s world number one Lin Dan will certainly be one to watch for the men’s singles title in the build up to this 14th edition of the World Championships, which will be staged for the first time in the USA at the impressive Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.
World and Olympic champion Zhang Ning – who turns 30 today and who clinched the winning point for China at the Sudirman Cup final on Sunday – will be looking for another major title to add to her impressive collection, and is joined by teammates Xie Xingfang and Zhou Mi in the women’s singles list. Ex-Chinese shuttlers Pi Hongyan (FRA) and Yao Jie (NED) are Europe’s highest-ranked hopes.
With their maximum four pairs eligible to play in the event, China looks set to dominate the women’s doubles once again, but the men’s doubles could be an open affair, with pairs from Denmark, China and Indonesia all performing well in Beijing last week.
This latest world ranking list sees the Olympic mixed doubles finalists, Nathan Robertson & Gail Emms and Zhang Jun & Gao Ling, topping the ranking list – perhaps an indication for another rematch in August…?
National Associations have until 2 June to confirm whether their players in this first wave of invitations will compete at the event.