Veterans Taufik and Peter-Gade eye different objectives in final world meet
Top News 9:58 AM
THIS year’s World Championships will be the last for old gems Peter-Gade Christensen of Denmark and Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia. And they mean it.
And they have different objectives. Christensen wants one last shot at winning the world title while 2005 world champion Taufik wants to use the tournament to revive his sagging form.
The 35-year-old Christensen said that the desire to win the world title “has kept me going” and he is now into his 11th outing.
“I am surprised that I have lasted this long. I am staying on until next year’s Olympic Games. I have one more world meet here and that’s it,” he said.
Old warhorse: Denmark’s Peter-Gade Christensen training at the Wembley Arena in London yesterday.
“There is no better place to end my quest for the world title than Wembley. This place has a lot of history and I am happy just to be a part of it.
“I should have won the world title in 2001 in Seville but Hendrawan popped up unexpectedly to win. Anyway, I have no regrets ... I have enjoyed every single event since my debut in 1995.”
Christensen said that strong will power and mental strength as well as his willingness to accept new ideas have kept him among the top echelon of shuttlers and made him a genuine contender for the title after 16 years.
“I have to look at new ways to keep up with the other players, especially with the world’s top two Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei,” he said.
“I am physically at a high level and I believe that I can still optimise my condition.
“I have the mental edge over many of my opponents and I will use to it my advantage.”
While Christensen is going great guns, Taufik is hoping to re-ignite his form, which has dipped of late.
“My ultimate goal is next year’s Olympic Games. I am here at the world meet to find my touch again. My game is going downhill and I need to regain my momentum,” said Taufik.
“It will be nice to pick up the pace in Wembley. This is my last world meet. It is the right time for me and I will say ‘no thank you’ even if I get the chance (to play in the world meet) again.”
Taufik said that he was prolonging his badminton career for one reason – to create a history of sorts in the Olympic Games.
“It will be a rare feat if I make it to the Olympic Games next year. It will be my fourth outing (after 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing). Not many have that record,” said the 2004 Olympic champion.
Both Taufik and Christensen are in different halves of the draw in the world meet.
Taufik is in the top half with top seed Lee Chong Wei and China’s Chen Jin and Chen Long.
The Dane is in the lower half with second seed Lin Dan of China, Indonesia’s Simon Santoso and Japanese Sho Sasaki.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 9:58 AM.
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