OLYMPICS /
Team China
Top shuttlers face tough draw at Olympics
Updated: 2008-07-27 13:56
BEIJING - Top seeds for Olympic badminton competition will encounter tough challenges from the very beginning at Beijing Olympic Games, badminton coaches told Xinhua here Saturday.
Xie Xingfang
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Xie Xingfang, top seed in women's singles will meet Cheng Shao-Chieh from Chinese Taipei, seeded 14th in her first match, while defending champions Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen's first rivals will be fledging Indonesian pair Liliyana Natsir and Vita Marissa, who are now ranked No. 6 and cornered Yang/Zhang in the semifinals of Uber Cup held in June.
Li Yongbo, head coach of the Chinese badminton team admitted that the draws are very tough for them, and each game on their path to championship will not be an easy job.
However, the result will be decided by the capabilities of players in the end, Li stressed.
Yang Wei (L) and Zhang Jiewen
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The manager of Indonesia badminton team Lius Pongoh also felt that it will be hard for Indonesian Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan, top seeds for men's doubles to advance as they will have to defeat No. 8 seed China's Guo Zhengdong and Xie Zhongbo in the first round.
The draw is fair to all the shuttlers anyway, said Li.
While the women's singles' coach of South Korea Kim Hak-kyun regarded the draw results as normal as expected.
When asked of the medal goal of South Korea in Beijing, Kim said that the National Olympic Committee of South Korea sets a goal of at least one gold for its badminton team.