ENGLAND TO FIELD WEAK TEAM AT THOMAS AND UBER CUPS May 7, 1996 (D.Shuttlenws) - The names of several top English doubles players were missing from the Thomas and Uber Cups team lists that were released by the International Badminton Federation late yesterday. Notable among the missing are the highly-rated women's doubles team of Julie Bradbury and Joanne G. Wright and men's doubles specialists Simon Archer and Nick Ponting. Men's singles stalwart Anders Nielsen is also one of those not nominated to the English side. Taking their places on the English team are some up and coming players such as Colin Haughton, Sarah Hardaker and Emma Chaffin for whom the Badminton Association of England holds high hopes as future world-class competitors. Other notable names are missing from the other teams nominated to the world men's and women's team championships (Thomas and Uber Cups) to be held in Hong Kong from May 16 to May 26. Yu Lizhi of China, ranked number 11 in the world in men's singles and one of the select few who qualified to play in the Atlanta Olympics, has been left out of his country's Thomas Cup team. Yu's omission is reportedly because his replacement, Lin Liwen, has had better results against top Indonesians Joko Suprianto and Heryanto Arbi. Kim Hak Kyun, ranked number 12 in the world in men's singles, was not named to the Korean team. He is said to be injured. The Danes have omitted their number 3 men's doubles team of Christian Jakobsen and Jens Eriksen from their team roster. The younger Jim Laugessen and his partner, Thomas Stavngaard, have been nominated instead of Jakobsen and Eriksen. Jakobsen and Eriksen are rated as number 20 in the world while Laugessen and Stavngaard sit at number 30. Returning to the world men's and women's team championships are the previously retired near-legend Park Joo Bong of Korea, said to be the best doubles player ever and Elena Rybkhina of Russia, once ranked among the ten best women's singles players. Both Park and Rybkhina are staging comebacks, primarily for the Atlanta Olympic Games. Also returning to world competition is the Korean women's doubles ace, Jang Hye Ock. Jang was injured during the Uber Cup qualifying event in Auckland, New Zealand in February and has not played in a tournament since then. Indonesia, defending champions in both men's and women's team competition, have named their top players led by Joko Suprianto and Susi Susanti. Ardy Wiranata who was injured recently during training was also named to the Indonesian side. Malaysia, runners-up to Indonesia in the 1994 Thomas Cup and expected to mount a stiff challenge, have also named their top players. The Chinese women, runners-up to Indonesia in 1994, are also coming with their best players and have high hopes of wresting the Uber Cup from the Susi Susanti-led Indonesians. The complete team rosters follow. CHINA Uber Cup (women's team) - Ye Zhaoying, Han Jingna, Wang Chen, Zhang Ning, Gu Jun, Ge Fei, Qin Yiyuan, Tang Yongshu, Peng Xingyong, Chen Ying Thomas Cup (men's team) - Dong Jiong, Sun Jun, Lin Liwen, Chen Gang, Jiang Xin, Huang Zhanzhong, Liu Jianjun, Liu Yong, Ge Cheng, Tao Xiaoqiang DENMARK Uber Cup - Camilla Martin, Anne Sondergaard, Mette Pedersen, Lotte Thomsen, Helene Kirkegaard, Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen, Rikke Olsen, Marlene Thomsen, Lotte Olsen, Ann Jorgensen Thomas Cup - Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen, Peter Rasmussen, Peter Gade-Christensen, Jim Laugessen, Michael Sogaard, Henrik Svarrer, Jon Holst-Christensen, Thomas Stavngaard, Thomas Lund ENGLAND Uber Cup - Jo Muggeridge, Julia Mann, Allison Mundy, Tammy Groves, Gillian Gowers, Sarah Hardaker, Emma Chaffin, Jo Davies Thomas Cup - Darren Hall, Peter Knowles, Peter Bush, Colin Haughton, Chris Hunt, Julian Robertson, John Anderson, Nathan Robertson HONG KONG Uber Cup - Ng Ching, Chan Hiu Fung, Koon Wai Chee, Chan Mei Mei, Chan Oi Ni, Tung Chau Man, Cheng Fai Yin, Zhou Xin, Yeung Chin Thomas Cup - Tam Kai Chuen, Tam Lok Tin, Wong Kwok Wai, Ng Wei, Ma Che Kong, Liu Kwok Wah, Ma Chi Wai, Chow Kin Man, Chan Siu Kwong, He Yi Ming (also known as Tim He) INDONESIA Uber Cup - Susi Susanti, Mia Audina, Juliani Santoso, Lydia Djaelawijaya, Meiluawaty, Eliza, Zelin Resiana, Lili Tampi, Finarsih, Denyana Lomban Thomas Cup - Joko Suprianto, Heryanto Arbi, Alan Budi Kusuma, Ardy Wiranata, Bambang Suprianto, Rexy Mainaky, Ricky Subagja, Antonius, Denny Kantono, Rudy Gunawan JAPAN Uber Cup - Hisako Mizui, Yasuko Mizui, Takako Ida, Masako Sakamoto, Aiko Miyamura, Tomomi Matsuo, Akiko Miyamura Thomas Cup - (did not qualify) KOREA Uber Cup - Bang Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Kyun, Ra Kyung Min, Lee Joo Hyun, Gil Young Ah, Jang Hye Ock, Kim Mee Hyang, Kim Shin Young, Park Soo Hyun, Chung Jae Hee Thomas Cup - Park Sung Woo, Lee Kwang Jin, Ahn Jae Chang, Jang Chun Woong, Kim Dong Moon, Lee Dong Soo, Kang Kyung Jin, Yoo Yong Sung, Ha Tae Kwon, Park Joo Bong MALAYSIA Uber Cup - (did not qualify) Thomas Cup - Rashid Sidek, Ong Ewe Hock, Pang Chen, Yong Hock Kin, Yap Kim Hock, Cheah Soon Kit, Soo Beng Kiang, Tan Kim Her, Lee Wan Wah, Choong Tan Fook RUSSIA Uber Cup - Elena Rybkhina, Marina Yakusheva, Irina Yakusheva, Elena Sucharova, Ella Karachkova, Nadezda Chervakova, Natalia Gorodnicheva, Irina Chernikova Thomas Cup - (did not qualify) SWEDEN Uber Cup - (did not qualify) Thomas Cup - Henrik Andersson, Peter Axelsson, Daniel Eriksson, Par-Gunnar Jonsson, Tomas Johansson, Rikard Magnusson, Jens Olsson, Jesper Olsson, Johan Tholinsson COPYRIGHT 1996 by D.Shuttlenws@genie.com. PERMISSION GIVEN to redistribute electronically in whole or in part.