Badzine posted LD announced today that he will be back to training in a few days and expects to play in 2 months time prolly April 14. LD is currently WR103. With April 24 as thequalifying date for WC14, LD would miss WC14. My sincere plea to the Danish Badminton Association, dear Paul please do something as President of BWF, please grant LD a wildcard, how can a defending WC not play? AlanY, will LD qualify for AG?
More info here: http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=25866 Relevant excerpt: Qualification process BWF will highlight those who are eligible to enter using the World Ranking list as at Thursday 24 April 2014
China has the same option as last year as far as the selection's concerned. They can just pick Chen Long and Lin Dan as LD will be within the top 150, or pick Chen Long, DU Pengyu and WANG Zhengming (as all 3 are in the top 24) and let bwf grant the defending champion a wild card. If I'm the selector I'll pick CL and LD to give him a chance and motivation to become the SIX times world champion.
A source tells me that, last year itself, the CBA was assured of Lin Dan's entry to the 2014 WC. The 2014 entry, when officially announced, might surprise everyone but not the CBA or Lin Dan.
on one hand it is difficult for bwf to grant the wild card to the same player twice in a row, but on the other hand the wild card last year proved to be correct as LD won it.
Firstly, I find it difficult to accept that WC does not feature the defending champion in it, that is just my thoughts. If there is a world wide poll, I bet majority would agree with me. Winning WC without the defending champion playing is like eating McDonald's fries with no ketchup...something like that
If Lin Dan will play WC without the wild card, that just means one thing - Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei are in the same half.
If LD wants to make a go for OLY16 gold (this is LD main goal for coming back), preferably the WR is LCW 1 or 2, LD 2 or 1 but higher than CL or any other CHN MS player. This placement would have LCW-CL killing each other physically and mentally in the same half, LD in the other and LD not having to face seeded players from R1 onwards. This is strategic planning IMO.