Badminton: Omens bright for Games next year

By JULIE ASH

New Zealand are on target for next year's Commonwealth Games in England.

At the world championships in the Spanish city of Seville, New Zealand finished third in group four in the teams event and were placed in the top 16 in three events in the individual competition.

In the women's doubles, sisters Rebecca and Nicole Gordon finished in the top 16, as did Nick Hall and Leanne Shirley, and Daniel Shirley and Sara Runestan-Petersen in the mixed doubles.

New Zealand No 1 Rhona Robertson said the team should definitely leap up the world rankings.

"It won't get us up into the top 16 because you have to play so many tournaments internationally, but it will boost our ranking and make the badminton world take notice of little old New Zealand."

Robertson said it was important New Zealand secured a good world ranking to guarantee them top seedings at next year's Commonwealth Games.

"We have a good starting point now. [New Zealand coach] Graeme Robson is very happy. We had some good wins against some of the Commonwealth countries.

"Chris Blair and Daniel Shirley beat the top Canadian men's doubles pair, Leanne Shirley and Nick Hall beat an English pair, and Nicole and Rebecca Gordon also beat an English pair, which was good."

In the teams event, New Zealand beat Poland and Iceland and lost to Singapore in their section before downing Bulgaria in a crossover match.

Singapore won the group and promotion to group three for the next world championships in two years. Although they put in some good performances, the Kiwis did run into some trouble off the court in Seville. Top New Zealand umpire Lynne Nixey was mugged on her way back to the hotel from the supermarket.

Nixey was out with another umpire when they were held up by two young men who took off with money and jewellery. Robertson came close to being robbed after a man tried to take her belt bag. Fortunately, she caught him in time.

New Zealand's next challenge is to defend the Whyte Trophy against Australia in next month's three-test series in New Zealand. The transtasman trophy is contested every two years.