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 Played over 10 days from Sept. 20, China is expected to mop up
the majority of the seven gold medals on offer but several sub-plots
and shots at retribution will add to the action as the drama unfolds
at the Gyeyang Gymnasium.
Two players hoping to make up for disappointing campaigns at the
recent world championships are men's world number one Lee Chong Wei
of Malaysia and his counterpart in the women's rankings, Li Xuerui
of China.
Lee's misfortune in major tournaments is agonizing and as the
31-year-old winds down a career that has brought him more than 50
titles, the lack of an Olympic, world championship or Asian Games
gold sits uncomfortably on an otherwise stellar CV.
When his nemesis, Lin Dan of China, failed to earn selection for
last month's world championships in Copenhagen, many believed Lee
would finally shake off his 'nearly man' tag and win a first world
title.
Lee looked unstoppable as he breezed through to the final but once
again fell short of glory, losing out in two tight sets to Lin's
compatriot Chen Long, a player the Malaysian had beaten in the
previous two finals they contested in 2014.
Lee also lost in the final of the 2013 and 2011 world championships.
He finished runner-up at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2008, and won
silver at the Asian Games in Guangzhou four years ago. Every one of
those failures came against the remarkable Lin.
Lee will have both Lin and Chen blocking his path to gold in Incheon
but the Malaysian is focused on reaching peak form rather than
dwelling on another near miss.
"I've came back from defeats many times. I just need to be mentally
stronger this time," Lee told reporters on his return to Kuala
Lumpur following the world championships.
"I also think that the Asian Games will be a tougher challenge for
me as China's top two will be competing. So, it will be up to me to
be strong enough to rise to that challenge."
LI HOPEFUL
For five-time world champion Lin, a second successive Asian Games
title would represent the perfect opening to what he hopes is a
two-year cycle that concludes with an unprecedented third
consecutive Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games.
"My goal is to play at a fourth Olympics if I can be there in Rio,"
Lin said in an interview at the recent Youth Olympics in Nanjing. "I
would be proud and honored to represent China at the Games four
years after winning in London."
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In the women's singles, 23-year-old Li will also be hoping to bounce
back after her shock three-set defeat to Spain's Carolina Marin in
the Copenhagen final and add an Asian Games title to her Olympic
gold medal from London.
Defending Asian Games champion and world number two Wang Shixian
represents the biggest threat to her Chinese compatriot Li's hopes
of victory in Incheon, while hosts South Korea and India will also
be looking to make an impact.
South Korea are well represented by Sung Ji-hyun and Bae Yeon-ju,
both ranked in the world's top six, while India have two top-10
players in the draw with P.V. Sidhu expected to go deep into the
tournament along with Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal.
The hosts can also expect to enjoy medal success in the men's
doubles after South Korea's teams picked up gold, silver and bronze
in Copenhagen.
Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeong-seong lost the final but the world's
number one-ranked pair are expected to go one better on home soil
with their stiffest opposition likely to come from Indonesia's
Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, who pulled out of the world
championships due to injury.
China, however, will be confident of sweeping the other four events
with Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei looking to continue their mixed
doubles dominance, along with strong women's doubles pairs and both
of their teams.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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