Badminton: Oceania event is valuable Games indicator

The Oceania badminton championships get underway today at Auckland's North Harbour, with plenty of significance on the results for the New Zealanders competing.

Places in the draw at next month's Commonwealth Games are on the line this week.

At present, New Zealand's world championships bronze medal team of Dan Shirley and Sara Runesten-Petersen are the third ranked Commonwealth mixed team in the world.

The England pair of Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms are the world's best combination with another English team of Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg right up there, followed by Shirley and Runesten-Petersen.

A win in the Oceania championships, where they are top seeds, is highly likely to give the Kiwi pair the second seeding and a slightly better draw in Melbourne in a few weeks time.

Their main rivals in the Oceania champs are Travis Denney and Kate Wilson-Smith of Australia, who are the second seeds.

Also gunning for a second seeding in the Commonwealth Games are Shirley and men's doubles partner, John Gordon. A win in the Oceania Championships could also see them gain the second spot in Melbourne.

Manchester silver medal pair Runesten Petersen and Nicole Gordon are coming into form again and are the second seeds in the women's doubles, behind Aussies Kellie Lucas and Wilson Smith.

In the singles, Geoff Bellingham and John Moody are the top two seeds at North Harbour, followed by Aussies Stuart Gomez and Stuart Brehaut respectively.

The women's singles is also headed by two Kiwis, with Rebecca Bellingham at one and Rachel Hindley at two. Australian Tania Luiz is third.

New Zealand badminton is riding a high at the moment, having won the Oceania Teams event and the Thomas and Uber Cup qualifying in the past week against Australia and several Pacific nations.

There are days and evening sessions of play all week. Finals will be held on Thursday from 6pm.