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China Tests Youngsters in All-England Open for World Championships
With four top players retired after the Olympic Games, China has to field a team mixed experience with youngsters in the All-England badminton championships, the first major tournament they have competed since returning from Sydney Olympics with a record four gold medals.
Ge Fei and Gujun, the most decorated shuttlers in the past decade, both retired after winning their second Olympic women's doubles gold medal in Sydney. World champions Ye Zhaoying and Sun Jun followed their suits after sustained injuries deprived them of gold medals in Sydney.
"Their retirement is really a setback for China. But we hope the youngsters can fill in the vacuum they left as soon as possible," said Li Yongbo, head coach of the Chinese national team.
Ji Xinpeng and Gong Zhichao, Olympic gold medalists in the men's and women's singles respectively, will lead 30 Chinese players to battle for five trophies in the 102-year All-England championships.
China won three champions in the event last year with Gong taking the women's singles, Ge/Gu the women's doubles and Xia Xuanze, the Olympic bronze winner, winning the men's singles.
But Gong, ranked second in the world, will face tough challenge from world number one and Olympic beaten finalist Camilla Martin of Denmark. Xia, ranked second in the world, will find Denmark's top player Peter Gade Christensen the most difficult hurdle for him to cross en route to winning the prestigious event for the second time.
Li Yongbo, who won the men's doubles event three times with Tian Bingyi here, was confident the Chinese players can put up good performance in the next few days.
"We have had a one-month intensive training session during the winter," he said. "I feel all of them are in a good form despite they are a little rusty after being kept from big international competitions for almost half a year."
Li said the results of the championships will play an "important role" in selecting members for the World Championships to be held in Seville, Spain, in May. "We will take part in two warm up events before the World Championships, the All-England and the Japan Open. So the results here are very important."
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