ALL-ENGLAND OPEN: HOYER, AUDINA LEAD THE SEEDS

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is sponsored by YANG YANG BADMINTON SHUTTLES and their USA agents, CHIN SPORTS (212-645-4142 or chinsports@aol.com). **

March 10, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Olympic badminton gold medalist and the current world number one men's singles player Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark begins his defense of the All-England title that he has won two years in a row tomorrow in Birmingham. Hoyer has been seeded first in his event, the men's singles, but he is not an overwhelming favourite to repeat because he has been shut out of the major titles since the Olympic Games with the invitational Danish Masters his only success since then.

Last year's women's singles champion, Bang Soo Hyun of Korea, has retired after winning the Olympic gold medal in August last year and she will not be around to defend her title. Mia Audina of Indonesia, the 16-year old Olympic silver medalist, is seeded first and is one of the favourites to take this year's title.

In men's doubles, the new Indonesian team of Chandra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto lead the entries. Wijaya and Budiarto have surprised the badminton world by winning several major tournaments after being put together as a pair in late September.

Olympic gold medalists Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky of Indonesia are seeded third.

Olympic gold medalists Ge Fei and Gu Jun from China are the top seeds in the women's doubles, while world number ones Tri Kusheryanto and Minarti Timur of Indonesia lead the favourites in mixed doubles.

The seedings (shown in their relative positions in the draw; the number before the name indicates the seeding);

MEN'S SINGLES

1 - Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen (Denmark)
13 - Jeffer Rosobin (Indonesia)

8 - Budi Santoso (Indonesia)
15 - Chen Gang (China)

3 - Joko Suprianto (Indonesia)
10 - Park Sung Woo (Korea)

6 - Ong Ewe Hock (Malaysia)
12 - Dong Jiong (China)

9 - Peter Gade-Christensen (Denmark)
5 - Indra Wijaya (Indonesia)

16 - Salim (Indonesia)
4 - Sun Jun (China)

11 - Alan Budi Kusuma (Indonesia)
7 - Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen (Denmark)

14 - Heryanto Arbi (Indonesia)
2 - Rashid Sidek (Malaysia)

WOMEN'S SINGLES

1 - Mia Audina (Indonesia)
7 - Zhang Ning (China)

3 - Ye Zhaoying (China)
8 - Kim Ji Hyun (Korea)

6 - Wang Chen (China)
4 - Camilla Martin (Denmark)

5 - Susi Susanti (Indonesia)
2 - Gong Zhichao (China)

MEN'S DOUBLES

1 - Chandra Wijaya/Sigit Budiarto (Indonesia)
7 - Liu Yong/Zhang Wei (China)

4 - Denny Kantono/Antonius Iriantho (Indonesia)
5 - Kang Kyung Jin/Ha Tae Kwon (Korea)

6 - Tao Xiaoqiang/Ge Cheng (China)
3 - Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky (Indonesia)

8 - Nikolaj Zuev/Andrej Antropov (Russia)
2 - Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock (Malaysia)

WOMEN'S DOUBLES

1 - Ge Fei/Gu Jun (China)
5 - Helene Kirkegaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark)

4 - Denyana Lomban/Indarti Isoliana (Indonesia)
6 - Christine Gandrup/Marina Andrievskaya (Sweden)

8 - Jo Muggeridge (England)/Kelly Morgan (Wales)
3 - Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen/Marlene Thomsen (Denmark)

7 - Nicola Beck/Joanne Davies (England)
2 - Rosiana Zelin/Eliza Nathanael (Indonesia)

MIXED DOUBLES

1 - Tri Kusheryanto/Minarti Timur (Indonesia)
7 - Jonas Rasmussen/Ann-Lou Jorgensen (Denmark)

3 - Jens Eriksen/Marlene Thomsen (Denmark)
6 - Ha Tae Kwon/Kim Shin Young (Korea)

8 - Nikolaj Zuev/Marina Yakusheva (Russia)
4 - Thomas Stavngaard/Ann Jorgensen (Denmark)

5 - Liu Yong/Ge Fei (China)
2 - Michael Sogaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark)