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Young-dae to play in Superliga in Bali
Held in Surabaya since its inception in 2007, this yearâs star-studded Djarum Superliga badminton championship moves to Bali as the organizers are expanding efforts to lure badminton enthusiasts
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Held in Surabaya since its inception in 2007, this year's star-studded Djarum Superliga badminton championship moves to Bali as the organizers are expanding efforts to lure badminton enthusiasts.
The tournament will be held at the Lila Bhuana Sports Hall in Denpasar on Jan. 25 to Feb. 1, with a number of the world's top players expected to participate, including South Korean doubles star Lee Young-dae.
'This will be the fifth edition of Djarum Superliga and we've decided to move it from Surabaya to Bali. Aside from promoting badminton fever, this is also an opportunity to promote Indonesia as a tourist destination,' Bakti Olahraga Djarum Foundation promotions manager Budi Darmawan told journalists on Wednesday.
He said the event was important as it gave young local players the chance to boost their skills as they would be given the opportunity to play against world-class players.
Young-dae expressed his excitement to participate in Superliga for the first time, particularly as the tournament would be held at a popular tourist destination.
'I'm looking forward to participating in the tournament as Indonesia has many worthy competitors,' he said.
World number one men's doubles shuttler Young-dae and Russian player Vladimir Ivanov will play for Musica Champion Kudus.
Musica's team manager, Effendi Wijaya, said his club had always tried to bring the best players to the tournament. Last year, the club recruited then world number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, who is facing a provisional suspension from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) due to an apparent anti-doping regulation violation.
Rising-star shuttlers Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan and Son Wan-ho of South Korea will also appear at Superliga for the first time.
Chen won his first super series tournament at the 2014 French Open. Wan-ho is currently in rank fifth in the world. They will play Musica Champion Kudus and Djarum Kudus, respectively.
The 2013 men's doubles world champions Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan will part ways in the tournament as they will defend their respective teams, Jaya Raya Jakarta and Djarum Kudus.
Women's division defending champion Jaya Raya Jakarta will get a boost with the addition of youngest world champion Ratchanok Intanon and Busanan Ongbumrungpan of Thailand to its lineup.
According to deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian Badminton Association Achmad Budiharto, the participation of foreign players was expected to boost the quality and prestige of the tournament.
The participating clubs in the men's division are Jaya Raya Jakarta, defending champion Musica Champion Kudus, Djarum Kudus, Mutiara Cardinal Bandung, Suryanaga Surabaya, USM Blibli and Hi Qua Wima Surabaya, while the foreign clubs comprise of Tonami and Hitachi from Japan and Granular of Thailand.
In the women's division, there are Djarum Kudus, Suryanaga Surabaya, Jaya Raya Jakarta, Mutiara Cardinal Bandung, USM Blibli, Jaya Raya New Star while the foreign clubs namely Hakuto Bank, Reneseas and Gifu Tricky Panders of Japan and Granular of Thailand.
Jaya Raya New Star is the newcomer club to the competition and showcases the talents of young players Ruselli Hartawan, Aurum Oktavia Winata and Jauza Fadhila Sugiarto.
