INQUIRER Sports

HONG KONG - It is a measure of China's supreme domination of world badminton that the real interest in the upcoming 2009 Sudirman Cup is not about who will win the prestigious tournament, but who will come second.

The world team championships, which take place every two years, start Sunday in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou with the hosts virtually guaranteed to lift the trophy for a seventh time in front of a partisan crowd.

Including China, 34 sides are taking part, but the structure of the mixed teams event is such that only eight of them can win the trophy, with the rest playing for points and national pride, but no money.

South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia are most likely to get closest to China, ensuring a strong showing from Asia.

The Koreans, who won the cup in 2003, are possibly best equipped to get anywhere near the hosts, but will be relying on their strong doubles teams more than their singles players.

It was their doubles players who took them to victory in 2003 when they became the last country other than China to lift the Sudirman Cup.

Malaysia, meanwhile, will be led by world men's number one Lee Chong Wei, who has told his teammates he cannot be expected to go it alone.

"My intention is to remain unbeaten in team events but it should not be a solitary effort. I want to see my teammates giving their best so that we can reach the semi-finals," he was quoted as saying by The New Straits Times.

"I will go all out to give a winning start in every tie as this will ease the pressure on my teammates and they can perform better.

"It has to be a team effort and if we fail to reach the semis, there will be no joy even if I end up unbeaten."

Traditionally competitive, Indonesia have been talking up their chances despite appearing under-strength for the competition, with Indonesian Badminton Association chairman Djoko Santoso even saying they could win it outright.

"We aim to bring the Sudirman Cup back to the country," he was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

"We realise rivalries among badminton-playing countries have escalated, while we have not shown great achievements in the Super Series tournaments," he said.

"It's time for us to focus and concentrate on winning."

Denmark, the nominal top seeds, ought to be the strongest of the non-Asian sides in the competition, although they will be missing world women's number one Tine Rasmussen, out with a heel injury.

None of which will concern home fans at the French-designed state-of-the-art Guangzhou Gymnasium, who will fully expect China to demolish all in their path on their way to retaining the trophy.

As usual, Lee Chong Wei's great rival Lin Dan will be the focus of the home fans' adulation, although China will be strong across the board despite not having their full array of shuttlers at their disposal.

At the other end of the spectrum, badminton minnows Lithuania, Luxembourg and Philippines are among those battling it out for points and respectability in the fourth and bottom tier of the tournament.

The Sudirman Cup runs May 10-17.