Chinese out to extend domination RP Open

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China, a world power in badminton, tries to flex its
muscle anew, this time in Manila, when it tries to
live up to the hype in the Bingo Bonanza Philippine
Open Badminton Championships which gets going July 18
at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, Metro Manila
Philippines.

Zhao Ting Ting and Yang Wei drew the top seeding in
women’s doubles while world No. 2 Chen Hong is the
top-ranked player in the men’s singles, making the
Chinese the players to beat in the $120,000 event
which lured some of the world’s finest shuttlers.
Out to foil Zhao and Yang’s bid, however, is a slew of
talented pairs, including world No. 4 Chien Yu Chin
and Cheng Wen Hsing of Taiwan, No. 8 Kumiko Ogura and
Reilo Shiota of Japan and No. 14 Endang Nursugianti
and Rani Mundiasti of Indonesia.

Chen, meanwhile, is top seed in the centerpiece men’s
singles, which features five of the world top 10
players, headed by Malaysian world No. 3 Lee Chong
Wei, No. 6 Bao Chunlai, also of China, No. 8 Kenneth
Jonassen of Denmark and reigning Olympic and Asian
Games champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, now at No.
9.

With the other top ranked players in women’s singles,
men’s doubles and mixed doubles in the roster, a
spirited chase for top honors in five categories is
expected in the five-day, $120,000 event sponsored by
Bingo Bonanza Corp. for the second straight year.

Malaysia, for one, has a powerhouse cast of 37 players
seeing action, headed by world No. 2 men’s doubles
tandem of Koo Kiet Keat and Tan Boon Heong, Lee and
Hafiz Hashim, the defending men‚s singles champion.
A total of 31 countries featuring 319 players are
competing in the event, a Grand Prix Gold tournament
sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation
and organized by IMG whose staging is also expected to
boost local badminton.

In fact, close to 30 local bets are eyeing spots in
the tournament proper as they compete in the one-day
qualifier set July 17.

Only the women‚s doubles pair of sisters Raquel and
Rachel Guerrero and Kennie Asuncion, in tandem with
Indon Lili Wang, gained berths in the tournament
proper while Kennie and brother Kennevic are ranked
No. 16 in the mixed doubles, where they finished
runner-up last year.

The RP Open, backed by Victor, exclusively distributed
by Pcome Industrial Sales, Inc., Snickers, The
Philippine Star, Solar Sports (official broadcaster),
Holiday Inn Galleria Manila and The Richmonde
(official hotels), will also stake world ranking
points and serves as an Olympic Qualifying tournament
where players shoot for important ranking points to
qualify for next year‚s Olympiad in Beijing.

Aside from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Taiwan, Denmark and the Philippines, other countries
participating are England, Czech Republic, Germany,
Finland, Italy, Ireland, Russia, Slovenia,
Switzerland, Wales, Austria, France, Portugal, Canada,
the United States, India, Iran, Vietnam, Australia,
New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.

 

 

On photo:

China's Yang Wei (right) in action with women’s
doubles partner Zhao Tingting in the recent Sudirman
Cup.