BWF Breaks New Ground with ‘Major Events’ Partners

Badminton World Federation (BWF) has broken new ground, announcing partnerships with sport apparel and equipment company, Li Ning, and energy drink company, Redbull China, for BWF Major Events for the next four years.

The sponsorship deals, which run from 2013 to 2016 inclusive, start with this year’s Sudirman Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and extend to the annual BWF World Championships – the next of which takes place in Guangzhou, China, in August – and the biennial Thomas & Uber Cup tournaments.

It’s the first time the world-governing organisation has negotiated global sponsorships for its Major Events and to have secured “these collective long-term agreements is a significant achievement”, said BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund, explaining that previously hosts were given the right to secure sponsors in their domestic markets for whichever Major Event they were hosting.

“BWF is pleased to partner with Li Ning and Redbull China in showcasing some of badminton’s premier tournaments with these seven Major Events throughout the four years from 2013-2016. These events are some of the most prestigious competitions in our sport and for any individual or country to win them is traditionally and undoubtedly a moment of great pride and honour,” noted Lund.

“The interest shown by these corporate entities underlines the fact that badminton has been growing in recent years and is now capable of attracting global attention and, as a result, such partnerships.”

Part of the deal with Li Ning is that all Major Events being played during the four years will use Li Ning top shuttlecocks and Li Ning court mats, beginning with the Sudirman Cup – or World Mixed Team Championships as it’s also known – for which Li Ning is also the title sponsor (left: tournament logo). This tournament will be held at Putra Stadium in Malaysia, from 19-26 May. A total of 32 countries, including defending champions China, will vie for the title.

“Badminton’s steady rise on the international sports landscape has been impressive and it’s clearly enjoying considerable popularity now. BWF events are currently televised in more than 160 countries and that number is constantly increasing. The Major Events are an attractive prospect for Li Ning in terms of global brand visibility and recognition, especially as these are the tournaments in which more countries compete and therefore their nations have an interest,” noted Li Ning’s General Manager of Li Ning Indoor Sports,  Mr. Hong YuRu.

Meanwhile, Redbull China’s Sports marketing director, Mrs. Joan Zhang said: “These Major Events are BWF’s signature collection and Redbull China’s official association with them signifies our regard for these tournaments and the high stature which we recognise they have among fans.

“This partnership fits into our strategy of aligning our company with some of the world’s best sporting events.”

Swiss Open: Vivian-Khe Wei shown the exit in semi-finals

End of the road: Vivian Hoo (top) and Woon Khe Wei found South Koreans Lee So-hee-Shin Seung-chan too strong and went down 21-17, 21-19 in the semifinals of the Swiss Open GP Gold in Basel Saturday.

Malaysians Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei’s gallant run in the Swiss Open GP Gold came to an end in the semi-finals after losing to South Koreans Lee So-hee-Shin Seung-chan in Basel yesterday.
Vivian-Khe Wei, ranked No. 25 in the world, found the world junior champions simply too strong and went down 21-17, 21-19 in 42 minutes in the women’s doubles.
But the pair can return home with their heads held high after a highly productive European campaign. They reached the quarter-finals of the All England for the first time last week.
Playing in only their second tournament together since Khe Wei suffered a knee injury three months ago, they defeated world No.15 Anneke Feinya Agustin-Nitya Krishinda Maheshwari of Indonesia in the first round.
On Friday, Vivian-Khe Wei did even better. They stunned world No. 10 Duanganong Arookesorn-Kunchala Voravichitchaikul of Thailand 21-16, 21-19 in the quarter-finals.
Unfortunately, their lack of competitive matches showed yesterday as the young Koreans demonstrated superior speed and power to take the first game.
Vivian-Khe Wei briefly held the upper hand when they led 7-1 in the second game.
But the Koreans, the world No. 19, stepped it up once more. Taking an aggressive approach, they reeled off 10 straight points and then surged to a 19-12 lead.
The Malaysians tried to stage a fightback but So-hee-Seung-chan stood firm to book a place in the final.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match. It’s disappointing to lose in the semi-finals,” said Vivian.
“This means that we still have a lot of work to do.
“Overall though, I’m quite happy with our performance in the All-England and Swiss Open. Hopefully, it’ll get better in the next few tournaments,” added Vivian.
With Vivian-Khe Wei out, Malaysia now have no more interest in the championships.
Courtesy of The Star

Rashid: Daren still has a long way to go

National singles head coach Rashid Sidek is not happy with shuttler Liew Daren’s (pic) recent performances and has urged the world No. 13 to keep his head down and work hard in order to become a better player.

Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the Malaysian Open in January, Daren suffered an opening round defeat at the All-England last week.
On Wednesday, the 26-year-old was once again uninspiring, falling to compatriot Mohd Arif Abdul Latif 15-21, 17-21 in the second round of the ongoing Swiss Open GP Gold.
It was Daren’s second defeat to Arif in the international scene and Rashid has warned that the former still has a long way to go before he can become a quality shuttler.
He was ranked world No. 10 recently, but has now dropped to 13th spot.
“Daren’s recent performances have not been good at all, especially with that latest defeat to Arif,” said Rashid.
“He still has a lot to learn and he needs to improve the quality of his play.
“Although his ranking is high, his play suggests that he is not matured enough to take on opponents who have an extra trick up their sleeve.
“But there’s still hope for him because I believe he has what it takes to go up.
“He must, however, be aware of his flaws and give more attention to his training and work extra hard in order to follow in the footsteps of (Lee) Chong Wei,” added Rashid.
Meanwhile, the lack of quality singles shuttlers in Malaysia was apparent as KLRC’s Zulfadli Zulkiffli and Nusa Mahsuri’s Misbun Ramdan Misbun both failed to get past the second round in Basel.
Courtesy of The Star

All England 2013: Day 6 - ‘Queen Tine’ Reigns in All England Farewell

Hollywood could not have conjured up a more enduring script as Tine Baun bade goodbye to professional badminton today, crowned the 2013 Yonex All England Women’s Singles champion.

Now a three-time winner of her favourite tournament, the Dane could barely believe her hard-fought success when the final point was won inside the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham before hundreds of cheering fans, some jumping to their feet and waving Baun’s national flag in celebration.

The fact that the veteran withstood the challenge of arguably the most talented of her sport’s next-generation sensations – Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand – made her last conquest before retirement all the sweeter.

The scoreline 21-14 16-21 21-10 will forever be seared into her memory.

“It’s such a great feeling…I’m so proud. Mentally it was very tough but physically not as hard as yesterday (Saturday’s semi-final). I gained so much power and motivation from winning yesterday. I felt I was doing my best and playing my game today. It’s fantastic,” said an ecstatic Baun (BWF home page).

All week she defied the odds, making her way through the draw at the expense of younger rivals in her last hurrah on court. The question was could the 33-year-old do it once more and against an 18-year-old versus whom she had a losing 1-3 record. After tight and tense early exchanges, Baun began to dictate, showcasing her powerful and skilful repertoire as Intanon was under fire in the first game. Though the Dane lost the second game, mainly due to errors at crucial stages, she re-established her dominance early in the third game and romped to an impressive victory; mixing winners from the deep with delicate net strokes that caught Intanon off-guard.

The tears in Baun’s eyes as the magnitude of her achievement sunk in said it all. Amid triumph, she spared a hug for the vanquished Intanon of whom she spoke glowingly.

“Ratchanok will definitely win this tournament, maybe many times. She is so talented. She has had some great results already and it is only the beginning of her career. She will be a big star,” predicted the woman who won All England titles in 2008 and 2010 also.

Intanon admitted wilting under the weight of expectation and pressure – not to mention the formidable occasion and the seasoned campaigner standing tall across the net.

“Tine played very good and her shots were winning a lot. She is very experienced and I was nervous playing her. I am upset to lose but I love this tournament,” said the runner-up.

Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei was in search of his third All England championship too but fate and circumstances were not as kind to him. He faltered 21-17 21-18 under an unwavering onslaught from China’s Chen Long (top left).

Clearly not at his best, Lee struggled from the outset to keep up with his rival in the Men’s Singles final. Looking tentative and unlike his normally aggressive self, he was quickly down 0-7 in the opening game. What hurt him most was that he was unable to get his tosses deep enough to prevent Chen from firing big smashes. The second game began similarly, with Lee trailing 1-6, but the Malaysian slowly worked his way back in, getting his length right and able to match Chen’s pace and power. The most engrossing period of the match unfolded and scores were level until 18, but an explosive shot from Chen gave him the advantage at 19-18 and he won the next two points to taste his maiden All England glory.

“The All England is very important. It is a world-class competition,” noted Chen Long. “This win gives me a lot of confidence. It’s great to be here and the crowd has been very supportive and passionate.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli (bottom right) took just 27 minutes to dismantle the challenge of compatriots Cheng Shu/Zhao Yunlei 21-18 21-10 in the Women’s Doubles final. Yu and Wang’s title was China’s 16th win in that category over the last 18 years at the All England Open.

• Fresh young Chinese pair, Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan (bottom left), flattened Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo/Kenichi Hayakawa (4) with an awesome display of big hitting in the Men’s Doubles final. The unseeded Qiu and Liu won their first Superseries 21-11 21-9 in 39 minutes.

• Mixed Doubles partners, Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir (Indonesia, 2; top right), defended their All England crown and secured their first Superseries title in almost a year with a 21-13 21-17 triumph over Olympic champions Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei (China, 5). Their record against the Chinese fifth seeds improved to 3-4 overall.

Chong Wei storms into fifth straight final in Birmingham

WORLD No. 1 Lee Chong Wei coolly marched into his fifth straight men’s singles final of the All-England – with a promise that he’s ready to nail his third title.
Yesterday, the 30-year-old Chong Wei held back his punches but his calm and cautious approach was still good enough to knock out feisty Tanongsak Saensamboonsuk of Thailand 22-20, 21-8 in 33 minutes in the semi-final.

It was his seventh win over Tanongsak in as many meetings.

He will face second seed Chen Long of China in the final. Chen Long defeated Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark 21-19, 22-20 in the semis.

Two-time All-England champion Chong Wei was pleased that his game plan worked against the 23-year-old Tanongsak, who had made heads turn with his amazing run from the qualifying tournament.

“He thrives on fast-paced attacking game and I didn’t want to give him that pleasure ... I slowed it down,” said Chong Wei.

“I just kept close to him and, when the time was right, I pulled away. He is a player with promise, though.”

The match started with a subdued Chong Wei playing a cautious game – assessing what the left-handed Tanongsak had to offer.

And the Thai youngster, vowing to be the next Boonsak Ponsana, showed that he meant business when he dominated the baseline, slamming home winners at every opportunity and even playing cleverly at the net to reach 11-10.

But that probably was the only period that Tanongsak showed his superiority over Chong Wei.

While trying his best to subdue the Malaysian with his jumping smashes, it eventually wore him out and he lost 20-22.

In the second game, Chong Wei stepped up a gear – just enough to hold the Thai by the jugular – and the first-timer cracked.

He took advantage of Tanongsak’s inexperience en route to his 21-8 win.

Chong Wei does not plan to hold anything back in today’s final.

“I skipped the German Open and Swiss Open to give my unwavering focus to the All-England. I’m just one step away from doing it. Malaysians used to find it difficult to win here but, now, I want to win as many times as possible,” he said.

If Chong Wei wins, it will be also his third Super Series title of the year. He had won the Korean Open and Malaysian Open in January.

But 18-year-old Thai sensation Ratchanok Intanon made up for Tanongsak’s disappointment when she crushed Saina Nehwal’s dream of a first All-England title with a sensational 21-15, 21-19 win in 40 minutes.

It was, by far, Ratchanok’s most impressive achievement in her young career.

She’ll take on the Tine Baun of Denmark in the final. The Dane beat Sung Ji-hyun of South Korea 24-22, 19-21, 21-19 in the semis

The Star

Misery for China, joy for Thailand

Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon is now in the final after beating Saina Nehwal in the semi-finals. — AFP

CHINA’S misery and Thailand’s emergence have been the highlights of the All-England so far.

Badminton powerhouse China took a massive blow in the women’s singles when none of their players made it to the semi-finals following the 21-23, 21-19, 16-21 loss of 2011 All-England champion Wang Shixian to Saina Nehwal on Friday.

Their other top guns – Li Xuerui and Wang Yihan – were blown away in the early rounds.

China’s women have been a dominant force in the All-England, having made every final since 1982 – except for 1991, 1993 and 1995.

National singles coach Rashid Sidek believes that China’s fragility in the women’s singles has made the game more interesting.

“They used to be so dominant ... now others have shown that they can be beaten. The women’s singles event is no longer a boring affair. Even the quality of the game has improved,” said Rashid.

China also suffered several other disappointments in the All-England with the defeats of mixed doubles top seeds Xu Chen-Ma Jin and singles players Chen Jin and Du Pengyu against lower ranked shuttlers.

While China are taking a beating, Thailand are making inroads in a game where they used to be the minnows.

They can revel in having their biggest representation in the All-England semi-finals after Tanongsak Saen­som­boonsuk, Ratchanok Intanon and Maneepong Jongjit-Nipitphon Puang­puapech won their men’s singles, women’s singles and men’s doubles events respectively on Friday.

Veterans Sudket Prakamol-T. Saralee almost made it a grand day but went down fighting to siblings Markis Kido-Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth of Indonesia 21-18, 20-22, 20-22.

Ratchanok then provided more joy for Thailand by beating Saina 21-15, 21-19 to reach the final.

“Ratchanok is a three-time world junior champion but she’s not the only women’s singles player the Thais have. They have another three or four good ones waiting in the wings. They have the depth,” said Rashid.

“Tanongsak’s breakthrough also showed that they have an able replacement for their aging senior shuttler Boonsak Ponsana.

“Thailand used to be below us in the SEA region. Now, I see them as favourites at the Myanmar SEA Games in December.

“They have certainly made their presence felt on the international scene.”

The Star

Chong Wei hampiri gelaran hatrik

CHONG WEI melangkah ke final buat kali kelima berturut-turut pada Seluruh England sekali gus berpeluang mencipta kejayaan hatrik.

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JAGUH badminton negara, Datuk Lee Chong Wei menepati ramalan selaku pilihan pertama kejohanan apabila mengesahkan slot ke final dalam pemburuan gelaran ketiga pada Kejohanan Badminton Siri Super Premier Seluruh England 2013 di Birmingham hari ini.
Pada aksi separuh akhir semalam, pemain No. 1 dunia itu menewaskan Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk dari Thailand dengan kemenangan 22-20, 21-8 untuk beraksi di pentas final buat kali kelima secara berturut-turut sejak 2009.
Pertarungan antara kedua-dua pemain itu dilihat terlalu sengit pada set pertama sehingga perlawanan diheretkan sehingga ke mata penentuan.
Begitupun, Chong Wei seperti mendapat suntikan semangat baharu untuk mendominasi set kedua apabila mendahului 13 mata sekali gus menewaskan pemain No. 37 dunia itu dalam tempoh 33 minit.
Berdasarkan laman web Persekutuan Badminton Dunia (BWF), rekod pertemuan bagi kedua-dua pemain itu sentiasa memihak kepada Chong Wei yang tidak pernah tewas dalam tujuh pertemuan sejak 2008.
Pada kempen tahun lalu, Chong Wei yang tampil selaku penyandang juara edisi 2010 dan 2011 terpaksa melepaskan peluang untuk melakukan hatrik apabila terpaksa menarik diri daripada pentas final selepas mengalami kecederaan bahu kanan ketika menentang pemain China, Lin Dan.
Chong Wei kini menggalas tugas sebagai pemain tunggal negara yang masih meneruskan perjuangan di bumi England sejak memulakan kempen pusingan pertama pada 6 Mac lepas.
Sementara itu, pada aksi suku akhir kelmarin, beregu daripada Kuala Lumpur Racquet Club (KLRC), Mohd. Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd. Tazari kalah kepada Liu Xiaolong dan Qiu Zihan dari China 12-21, 10-21.
Kekalahan itu turut dialami satu lagi pasangan negara, Hoon Thien How dan Tan Wee Kiong selepas tewas kepada beregu pilihan kelapan, Mohammad Ahsan dan Hendra Setiawan dari Indonesia 12-21, 16-21 dalam masa 24 minit.
Turut mempamerkan persembahan hambar ialah pasangan beregu wanita negara, Vivian Hoo Kah Mun-Woon Khe Wei yang ditunjukkan jalan keluar oleh beregu pilihan keenam, Miyuki Maeda dan Satoko Suetsuna dari Jepun 16-21, 13-21.
Semua pemain perseorangan wanita Malaysia kalah dalam pusingan kelayakan manakala dua beregu campuran negara gagal meneruskan saingan apabila kalah kepada lawan masing-masing pada pusingan kedua.
Peminat sukan tanah air turut dikejutkan dengan kekalahan beregu utama negara, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong kepada pasangan Thailand, Maneepong Jongjit-Nipitphon Puangpuapech 17-21, 18-21 pada pusingan kedua, Khamis lalu


Kosmo!