OLYMPICS: BADMINTON - DAY 6 EVENING RESULTS
CHEAH AND YAP SET UP MALAYSIA-INDONESIA MEN'S DOUBLES FINALS

July 29, 1996 (D.Shuttlenws) - Malaysians Cheah Soon Kit and Yap
Kim Hock won their men's doubles semifinals this evening at the
Atlanta Olympic Games to set up another Malaysia-Indonesia battle
in the men's doubles finals.

Cheah and Yap, seeded second in the competition, defeated the 3/4
seeds from Indonesia, Antonius and Denny Kantono, 15-10 and 15-4
to book their place in the finals against top-seeded Indonesians
Rexy Mainaky and Ricky Subagja.

Mainaky and Subagja had beaten another Malaysian pair, Soo Beng
Kiang and Tan Kim Her, in an earlier semifinal match.

A second Malaysia-Indonesia clash will take place when the losing
semifinalists, Soo-Tan and Antonius-Kantono, play off for the
bronze medal.

Badminton is a leading sport in both Malaysia and Indonesia, neighboring
countries in Southeast Asia, and the rivalry between the two nations
arouses patriotic feelings similiar to those in soccer-mad countries.
The Indo-Malay matchup in the men's doubles final is certain to bring
out flag-waving and cheering supporters for both sides, both at the
Olympic venue in Atlanta and in Indonesia and Malaysia.

In the women's doubles semifinals, Ge Fei and Gu Jun, seeded second in
the competition but ranked first in the world, put an end to Danish
gold medal hopes when they defeated Helene Kirkegaard and Rikke Olsen
15-8, 15-2.

Ge and Gu will battle top-seeded Koreans Jang Hye Ock and Gil Young Ah
for the gold medal.

Jang and Gil beat the Chinese pair of Qin Yiyuan and Tang Yongshu to
book their place in the women's doubles finals against Ge and Gu.

The way to the finals was not an easy one for the Korean pair as Qin
and Tang fought for every point in a very tightly-contested match that
was decided finally in a third game tiebreak, 18-16 (5-3 in the 5-point
setting or tiebreak).

The losing pairs of Qin-Tang and Kirkegaard-Olsen will meet in a playoff
to decide the bronze medal winners.

Western hopes rest on the Danish pair as well as Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen,
also of Denmark, in the men's singles to prevent an Asian medal sweep
in the sport.

Men's Doubles - Semifinals (July 29, 1996)

MAINAKY, Rexy/SUBAGJA, Ricky (1) - Indonesia beat SOO BENG KIANG/
        TAN KIM HER - Malaysia 15-3, 15-5 (this match was played
        in the morning session)
CHEAH, Soon Kit/YAP KIM HOCK, (2) - Malaysia beat ANTONIUS, S./
        KANTONO, Denny (3) - Indonesia 15-10 15-4


Women's Doubles - Semifinals (July 29, 1996)

GIL Young Ah/JANG Hye Ock (1) - Korea beat QIN Yiyuan/
        TANG Yongshun (3) - China 15-12, 10-15, 18-16
GE Fei/GU Jun (2)- China beat KIRKEGAARD, Helene/
        OLSEN, Rikke (3) - Denmark 15-8, 15-2


COPYRIGHT 1996 by d.shuttlenws@genie.com.

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