Badminton: Injury ends Li Feng's Olympic dream

By Terry Maddaford

Li Feng's Olympic dream is over. A recurring knee injury has ruled her out of this week's international badminton tournament and ended any hope of her winning a place at next year's games.

With Rhona Robertson already out of the reckoning - a decision she made earlier in the year - New Zealand's hopes of having players in Sydney are slim.

"It is a big blow for badminton in New Zealand," said national coach Graeme Robson yesterday.

"Li Feng has decided to give her knee a long rest. It has not been right for 18 months and by continuing to play she was not doing it any good."

Robson hoped the popular 30-year-old would not be lost to the sport in New Zealand, but said recent harsh funding cuts by the Sports Foundation had hurt badminton.

"We hope we can keep her here. She is not closing the door on playing again - perhaps at the next Commonwealth Games."

With Robertson and Li Feng out of the Olympic picture - Li Feng was to have teamed with Tammy Jenkins in a new-look women's doubles combination - the spotlight will be on men's singles hopes Geoff Bellingham and Nick Hall and the mixed doubles pairing of Jenkins and Daniel Shirley.

Bellingham, runner-up in the recent Oceania championships, has, on the world rankings, been seeded No 1 in the men's singles at the Giltrap City Toyota Auckland International that starts at Badminton Hall this evening.

Hall, beaten in the semifinals at Oceania, is seeded eighth, with the other six seedings taken by French, Australian and Fijian players.

Bellingham will play former international Jarrod King first and should meet Australian Stuart Brehaut in the semifinals.

France's Sandra Dimbour heads the women's singles. After a first-round bye, she will play the winner of the all-Kiwi clash between Renee Flavell and Rachel Hindley in the second round. Unseeded Robertson, who won the Oceania title, is the dangerous longshot.

All finals will be played on Sunday afternoon.