WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: GLASGOW GETS READY

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by YANG YANG BADMINTON PRODUCTS and their U.K. agents, SUNRISE SPORTS (07050-182838/fax:07050-183838). **

April 27, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - The Scottish city of Glasgow is putting the finishing touches to its preparations for two weeks of world-class badminton competition in the last two weeks of May, when Glasgow and the Scottish Badminton Union will be hosting the badminton world championships.

Scheduled to start on May 19 at the one-year old Scotstoun Leisure Centre just outside of Glasgow, the world championships will feature two sets of competitions. First on tap will be the world mixed team championships from May 19 to May 24. The team competitions will be followed by the world individual championships from May 25 to June 1.

The world mixed team championships, also known as the Sudirman Cup, is a competition between teams of men and women badminton players representing their respective countries. Each test or meeting between the countries will consist of five matches - one men's singles, one women's singles, one men's doubles, one women's doubles, and one mixed doubles, with the country posting victories in three of the matches winning the test.

Only the top six countries from the last Sudirman Cup competition in 1995 will actually be playing for the team championship. The other countries will be competing in separate divisions of eight teams apiece with the best team in each division winning promotion to the next division in 1999 and the worst team dropping down one division.

The six countries who will be playing in the premier division are defending champion China, 1995 runners-up Indonesia, Denmark, Korea, England and 1995 second division winner Sweden. Thailand lost to England in the relegation match in 1995 and has dropped down to the second division.

The world individual championships will follow the Sudirman Cup finals. Championships in the five badminton events will be at stake and three of the champions from 1995 will be defending their titles - men's singles champion Heryanto Arbi of Indonesia, women's singles titleholder Ye Zhaoying of China, and the mens'doubles champion pair of Indonesians Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky.

The women's doubles champion tandem of Gil Young Ah and Jang Hye Ock from Korea has been disbanded due to Gil's retirement after her mixed doubles victory at the 1996 Olympic Games. Jang, however, will be at the championships with a new partner.

Mixed doubles champions Thomas Lund and Marlene Thomsen from Denmark are also no longer competing together, although both will be playing in Glasgow. Lund has been concentrating on men's doubles and the world championships will be his last major tournament before he starts a new career as the head of elite player development for Denmark. Thomsen will be competing in women's doubles with Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen as well as in mixed doubles in Jens Eriksen.

First stage individual competition for lower-ranked players will be held from May 25 to the morning of May 27. The survivors from the first stage, as the Scots politely refer to the qualifying rounds, will join the higher-ranked players and pairs for the second stage competition which starts May 27.

Finals for the world mixed doubles championships are scheduled for May 31, while the finals for the other four events will be held on June 1.

The annual general meeting of the International Badminton Federation and a world badminton coaches conference will also take place in Glasgow the last week of May.

(Ticket and hotel information for the world badminton championships may be obtained from the Scottish Badminton Union at Cockburn Centre, 40 Bogmoor Place, Glasgow G51 4TQ, United Kingdom. Their telephone and fax number is 0141-445-1218. The telephone country code for the United Kingdom in 44. - Editor).

(filed by martincoe/written by migrossman).