T

he second Djarum Indonesian Badminton Super League will likely attract more spectators as world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia and world No. 2 Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia team up as players of the SGS PLN Bandung in the event starting Sunday.

Taufik, who is deputy chief of the SGS, said he was happy to have Chong Wei in his team and participating in the league.

“The approach started during the Malaysia Open [in January], I asked him whether he’d like to join Musica [Champion Kudus]. At that that time he said that he couldn’t make it. But when I asked him again, he agreed to join my club,” Taufik said during a drawing here on Thursday.

He hoped Chong Wei’s appearance would benefit the club and enliven the Rp 1.35 billion (US$150,000) event.

The Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) chief Djoko Santoso said that the association fully supported the league. “Hopefully, the league will produce more badminton heroes for Indonesia.”

Most Indonesian top shuttlers, including world No. 13 Simon Santoso men’s singles and world No. 27 Maria Febe women’s singles, will take part in the league.

Nevertheless, 2008 Olympians Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan men’s doubles will be absent at the event due to their appearance in the China League.

On international players in the men’s team, the league will also feature Chayut Triyachart and Hendry Kurniawan from Singapore (SGS); world No. 7 men’s singles Nguyen Tien Minh of Vietnam, world No. 20 men’s singles Kashyap Parupalli of India, and Gan Tek Cai and Tan Bin Shen from Malaysia men’s doubles (Tangkas Alfamart); as well as Hu Yun And Chan Yan Kit men’s singles (defending champion Jayaraya Suryanaga Surabaya).

In the women’s team, world No. 9 women’s singles Yip Pui Yin from Hong Kong, Chen Hsiao Huan from Taiwan as well as world No. 1 women’s doubles Chen Wen Hsing with her new partner Cheng Hsin Yun (defending champion Tangkas Alfamart); world No. 10 women’s doubles Shinta Sari Mulia and Yao Lei from Singapore (Jayaraya