'Super Dan' targets China title

Olympic champion on a high again

SHANGHAI: Badminton superstar and home hero Lin Dan will look to prove he has put injury and controversy firmly in the past when he headlines a top-quality field at this week's China Open.  

One of China's biggest sports stars, Lin Dan's roller-coaster season resumed an upward trajectory when he shot to victory in Hong Kong at the weekend to claim  his first trophy since the World Championships in August.

   The Olympic champion has weathered new accusations that he handed out walkovers to benefit teammates, as well as a foot injury and a shock defeat to Hong Kong's Wing Ki Wong in Denmark.

   But he returned to his sublime best to oust great rival Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the Hong Kong semis, before crushing teammate Chen Jin 21-12,  21-19 in Sunday's final.

   "It's been a long time since I won the Hong Kong Open," said the five-time Hong Kong champion, who last won the title in 2007. "In between there were two or three years I didn't play very well so that's  why I didn't win, but it's good to win this time."

   Lin Dan has recovered from sixth to third in the rankings this season and the sport's most successful player, who turned 28 last month, will target an  Olympic defence next year at what will almost certainly be his last Games.

   The unflappable left-hander also knows time is running out to capture his first win in the annual Superseries Finals, which take place next month in China's Liuzhou.

   At the US$350,000 (RM1.1 million) Shanghai tournament this week, Lin Dan's teammates Chen Long,  ranked second in the world, and fifth-ranked Chen Jin are also bidding to  secure one of China's two men's singles spots for the finals in Liuzhou.

   World No 1 Chong Wei can claim his seventh Super Series win this year, while Indonesia's ex-Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat will bid to bounce back from his  two losses to Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk at the Sea Games.

   In the women's singles, China's three Wangs -- Wang Shixian, Wang Yihan and Wang Xin, currently ranked one, two and three -- look set to extend their dominance after claiming all but one Super Series trophy this year.

   Wang Xin took the honours in Hong Kong against German veteran Juliane Schenk, and the all-conquering Wangs will face competition from teammate Jiang Yanjiao  and India's Saina Nehwal, ranked fourth.

   The Shanghai crowd will also be hoping for a second successive China  sweep after Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, and Zhang Nan and  Zhao Yunlei claimed the Hong Kong men's, women's and mixed doubles titles. - AFP

YACHTING: Monsoon Cup to carry on

Pulau Duyung stays as WMRT venue

PULAU DUYONG: The Monsoon Cup is here to stay. Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said, in all likelihood, Pulau Duyong will continue to be the venue for one of the World Match Racing Tour legs.

  Speaking to reporters after opening the seventh edition of the Monsoon Cup yesterday, Ahmad Shabery said there is no other suitable place in the country to host a premier sailing event where a world tour champion is crowned every year.

   "We have world class sailing facilities here and the Monsoon Cup is already recognised as the best tour event by the world sailing governing body," said Ahmad Shabery.

   "We also know that the Monsoon Cup organisers are doing what they can to develop the sport at grassroots level and now that the Monsoon Cup is attracting private sponsorship, we should be able to continue our support of the event after its four-year contract with WMRT expires next year."

   Shabery also applauded the efforts of Monsoon Cup organisers T-Best Events Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian Yachting Association (MYA) to start the Malaysian Match Racing Tour (MMRT) next  year.

   "This will do our national sailors a world of good as competing in such a circuit will harness the potential of local sailors and prepare them for international events," the minister added.

   "Four venues - Langkawi, Lumut, Klang and Kuala Terengganu - have been identified as MMRT venues but the organisers will still consider other locations if there is interest from other states."

   Ahmad Shabery later joined Yanmar Racing, skippered by four-time world champion Datuk Peter Gilmour, in the Pro-Am race against other Monsoon Cup competing teams and the event sponsors.

   But Ahmad Shabery and Gilmour had to be satisfied with a runner-up position after The Wave Muscat, with Torvar Mirsky at the helm, proved to be too strong under a cloudy sky punctuated by intermittent rain.

   Third place went to Berntsson Sailing Team, skippered by Johnie Berntsson while tour leader Ian Williams and his Team GAC Pindar finished fourth.

   The Monsoon Cup round-robin series will begin today.

The other  competing skippers are Francesco Bruni of Bruni Sailing, Bjorn Hansen of Mekonomen Sailing Team, Damien Ielh of French Match Racing Team, Danish Jesper Radich of Adrian Lee & Partners Racing Team, Mathieu Richard of French Match Racing Team, Phil Robertson of Waka Racing Team, William Tiller of Full Metal Jacket Racing and  Jeremy Koo of Abdullah Chan-Koo Racing Team.