HO CHI MINH CITY, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- With strong men and women players, China is the favorite at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships slated for Feb. 14-19 in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, local media reported on Friday.
Members of the Chinese team include Zheng Siwei/Chen Qingchen (ranked the first in the world for mixed doubles), Shi Yuqi (ranked the 11th for men's singles), He Bingjiao (ranked 10th for women's singles) and Zhang Nan (one of the duo that won a 2016 Olympic gold medal in the men's doubles event). The names were reported by daily newspaper Tuoi Tre (Youth).
China's Hong Kong has also sent its most prominent players to Vietnam, including Ng Ka Long (ranked the eight for men's singles), Hu Yun (14th for men's singles), Wong Wing Ki (the 17th for men's singles), Cheung Ngan Yi (17th for women's singles), and Lee Chun Hei Reginald/Chau Hoi Wah (13th for mixed doubles).
Despite fielding its most outstanding players, including Nguyen Tien Minh (42nd for men's singles), Vu Thi Trang (38th for women's singles), and Nguyen Thi Sen (61st for women's doubles along with Vu Thi Trang), Vietnam will likely find it hard to pass the tournament's qualifying round.
Vietnam is in Group C along with Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. "We will try to have at least one victory before the Philippines," said Vietnamese head coach Nguyen The Huy.
Group A consists of China, China's Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei; Group B is comprised of Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka; and Group D includes South Korea, India and Singapore.
