BEIJING (AP) — China's badminton coach says a new professional league will threaten the national team's success.
The Chinese Badminton Super League, whose season runs May 22-Aug. 9, was established by the national federation this year to better market the sport domestically.
However, coach Li Yongbo said the league's season coincides with a number of international tournaments, causing his players to miss crucial warmups for major competitions.
Players will also exhaust themselves flying to and from their club and national commitments, and would have just 10 days to prepare between the season closer and August's World Championships in Paris, Li was quoted as saying in Thursday's China Daily newspaper.
"The national team players have to sacrifice a lot in order to play" in the league, said Li, who coached the Chinese men to a fourth-straight victory earlier this month in the Thomas Cup, the sports premier event. "I'm really worried about that."
Badminton is popular in China and the state-run sports system has produced a steady stream of champions, including 2008 Olympic men's and women's gold medalists Lin Dan and Zhang Ning.
China's women currently occupy the top five spots in the world rankings, while Chinese men hold the second and third spots.
