BEIJING, Aug.21 -- China's head coach Li Yongbo said his players were not "mentally mature enough" despite winning three of the five titles at the world Badminton championships in Kuala Lumpur at the weekend.

    With less than a year to go until the Beijing Olympics, missing out on the men's doubles and mixed doubles titles, both won by Indonesians, was clearly not acceptable.

    "Our players have the top skills and ability in the world, but are not psychologically mature enough," Li told yesterday's China Youth Daily.

    "At the Olympic Games, there will be only one chance, either you win or you lose. We can't treat any match lightly as we have to ensure the opportunity of success.

    "Our players must grow up quickly, because we cannot afford any setbacks on our Olympic mission."

    China swept all the golds except the mixed doubles at last year's championships in Madrid.

    Last week, top players like women's defending champion Xie Xingfang, men's third seed Chen Jin and No. 1 doubles pair Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng were all knocked out before the semifinals.

    Twice Olympic mixed doubles champion Gao Ling said the younger Chinese players were not mentally strong enough in tough competitions.

    "Compared with my generation, few young players can endure intense pressure and fight until the end," the 28-year-old said.

    However, Lin Dan's retention of the men's singles crown he won in Madrid a year ago proved a stable point on the compass and there were also victories for Shanghai-native Zhu Lin in the women's singles and Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen in the women's doubles at the worlds, which were marked by a big rift at the top of the sport's governing body.

    Badminton World Federation (BWF) chiefs were engaged in a damage-limitation exercise behind the scenes after a 14-5 vote of no confidence in the ruling body's South Korean president Kang Young-joong at a council meeting on Saturday.

    Kang later asserted that deputy president Punch Gunalan of Malaysia had usurped the president's position and that of the chief operating officer who was dismissed last month.
He also maintained the BWF had spiralled downwards through a "dictatorship by democracy" and that such a serious rift in the sport's governing body could even jeopardize its Olympic status after 2012.

    Kang's claims were rejected 24 hours later with BWF Asia chairman V.K. Verma insisting too much had been made of the no-confidence vote and the problem lay with the Korean's style of work. "He has to respect the majority," said Verma.

    Kang will remain president until he indicates his absence is permanent. If he chooses to return, an EGM would be necessary to remove him.

    (Source: Shanghai Daily/ Agencies)