Chinese national badminton team chief manager Li Yongbo hinted in Beijing on Thursday that the host team would be confronted with four challenges in Olympics preparation.

 

According to Li, the first challenge is from foreign players. With the popularity of Olympics, more and more players want to show themselves on this big stage. Therefore, they would train hard to get good results which will improve the competitiveness of the match and pose threats to Chinese players.

 

Second, the challenge from his players themselves. Though they are host team and have much more support, Chinese players may get more pressure as they want to show their best performance in their motherland. As a result, they might become impatient and get hurt during the match which may affect the whole training plan.

 

Third, the challenge from the 21-point system. The new system will increase the uncertainty of the match as once the player made mistakes in one step, the result will be different.

 

Fourth, the challenge from the tight schedule of match. In order to qualify for next year's Olympics, the players will have to take part in more matches to get more ranking points for the Olympics, which will have impact on the training scheme.

 

This International Badminton Tournament, being held from October 10 to 14 at Beijing University of Technology (BUT) Gymnasium, is among the series of the test events for Beijing 2008 Olympics and the (But) Gymnasium will serve as the badminton and rhythmic gymnastics venue for the Beijing Olympics next year.

 

"This tournament is the setout of preparation for Olympics," said Li Yongbo, adding that he appreciated the facility here very much, "The venue here is the best one I've ever seen and I believe all the players will like playing here next year."

 

The Chinese badminton team has defended the title of Sudirman Cup and won three golds at World Championships.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2007)