China on Tuesday announced a 17-strong squad for the 10th World
Mixed Team Championships (Sudirman Cup) at Glasgow's Scotstoun
International Sports Arena slated for June 11-17.
China, reigning champion and holder of Thomas Cup, Uber Cup and
Sudirman Cup, aimed to defend the title.
??
Lin Dan, world number one, led China's men's singles list. He was
joined by world number two Chen Jin and Bao Chunlai. Chen Yu
dropped off the list.
??
Leading China's women's singles will be Olympic champion Zhang Ning
and world champion Xie Xingfang. Zhu Lin, winner at Malaysia Super
Series and runner-up at Korea Open Super Series and Indonesia Super
Series, was included into the list, outlasting Jiang Yanjiao and Lu
Lan.
??
Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, world top-rated men's doubles shuttlers,
and Xie Zhongbo and Guo Zhendong were on the list. Three pairs Gao
Ling and Zhang Jiewen, Yang Wei and Zhao Tingting as well as Wei
Yili and Zhang Yawen constituted women's doubles squad. Zheng Bo
and Gao Ling, and Xie Zhongbo and Zhang Yawen were on the mixed
doubles list.
??
Li Yongbo, head coach of the Chinese team, said they intended to
send as more players as possible to the tourney so that they may
field appropriate line-ups for different opponents.
??
Five-time Sudirman Cup winner China will take on the fourth seed
Malaysia, the sixth seed Thailand and the seventh seed England in
Group 1A. Second seed Denmark will face former champion South Korea
and Indonesia, and Hong Kong in Group 1B.
??
The Chinese team, now preparing for the Sudirman Cup in Jinjiang,
southeast China, will come back to Beijing on June 1, and will head
for Glasgow on June 7.
(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2007)