Indonesia readies shuttle army

Led by their newest star Taufik Hidayat, badminton-crazy Indonesia have entered the most players in the badminton competition at the Sydney Olympics, organisers said on Monday.

Indonesia have 19 men and women in the event, one more than arch rivals China and Denmark.

The three countries and South Korea are the favourites for most of the gold medals in the tournament, which runs from September 16, the day after the opening ceremony, to September 23.

South Korea and Britain have 12 players each.

Hidayat took over as men's world number one from Denmark's Peter Gade Christensen when he won the Malaysian Open last month, shortly after his 19th birthday. The Danes missed the Malaysian tournament because of their Olympic preparations.

Also in Denmark's team is defending Olympic champion Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen, whose victory in the men's singles in Atlanta four years ago made him the only player from outside China, South Korea and Indonesia to have won an Olympic badminton gold.

Hidayat's teammate Hendrawan, ranked third in the world, and China's world number four Xia Xuanze are the other gold medal contenders in the men's singles.

Hendrawan, who beat Hidayat in a training match last week, played down his chances of winning in Sydney.

"Let's not talk about my target at the Olympics. Everybody has equal chances there. All I can say is that I am well prepared," he was quoted on Monday as saying in the Jakarta Post.

Since only the top eight players in the world are seeded, one of the top players could come up in the opening round against current world champion Sun Jun of China, who is not ranked.

China have entered world number one Gong Zhichao, Dai Yun and Ye Zhaoying in the women's singles, and they are expected to battle Denmark's Camilla Martin for the gold medal.

Martin, ranked number two in the world, upset Dai to take the world title in Copenhagen last year.

Reigning world champions Kim Dong Moon and Ha Tae Kwon of South Korea are expected to challenge defending Olympic champions Rexy Mainaky and Ricky Subagja in the men's doubles.

Defending Olympic champions Ge Fei and Gu Jun of China, who have been playing together for 16 years, are heavily favoured in the women's doubles. They have won the last two world championships.