HCMC – China clinched three gold medals at the Yonex-Sunrise Vietnam Open Grand Prix 2010 that wrapped up on Sunday in HCMC.
China finished first with three gold and one silver medal. Thailand and Indonesia tied for second with each team winning one gold medal. Hong Kong came third with two silver medals while disappointed host Vietnam came away empty handed from all five events despite having the top seed in the badminton tournament.
China earned their first gold when unseeded Yuekun Chen overcame Hong Kong’s Nan Wei 21-13, 21-14 in the final game of the men’s singles, winning the trophy and US$3,750.
China’s second gold went to Jin Ma and Qianxin Zhong as they defeated compatriots Jinhua Tang and Huan Xia 21-19, 21-23, 21-13 in the finals of the women’s doubles.
Hanbin He and Jin Ma brought home the third gold medal for China in the mixed doubles. The Chinese pair beat Youhan Hadikusumo Wiratama and Ying Suet Tse from Hong Kong 21-18, 21-11 in the final.
Two unseeded Indonesian players, Mohammad Ahsan and Bona Septano beat Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari and Soon Hock Ong from Malaysia 21-18, 13-21, 21-17 in the men’s doubles to capture their country’s only gold.
Thai teenager Ratchanok Inthanon defeated Hui Zhou of China 21-17, 22-20 to take the only Thai medal and win the women’s singles.
Vietnam’s top player Nguyen Tien Minh, who ranks eighth in the world, failed to defend last year’s tile when the tournament’s top seeded player was eliminated from the competition after losing to Yuekun Chen from China in the quarterfinals 12-21, 19-21.
The tournament’s prize totaled US$50,000 with the men and women singles’ winners receiving US$3,750 each. The remaining prizes were divided between the winners of the men’s and women’s doubles and the mixed doubles champions.
The six-day tournament drew 274 athletes from Australia, Austria, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.S., Wales and hosts Vietnam.
The annual tournament took place from October 5 to 10 at Phan Dinh Phung Indoor Sports Stadium, District 3 in HCMC. Briefly
Marseille plan to take legal action against De Jong
Olympique Marseille plan to take legal action against Manchester City midfielder Nigel De Jong for breaking Hatem Ben Arfa’s leg in a Premier League clash last weekend, the president of the Ligue 1 club said on Sunday.
Marseille forward Ben Arfa, who was loaned to Newcastle United during the close season, had his fibula and shinbone broken in a tackle by De Jong and is expected to be out of action for several months.
“We will file a claim against De Jong. We have to get rid of this type of individual from European pitches,” OM president Jean-Claude Dassier told French TV channel TF1 on Sunday, without elaborating.
De Jong escaped punishment at the time but Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk left him out of the Dutch squad for their Euro 2012 qualifiers against Sweden and Moldova.
The player also attracted criticism in July’s World Cup final against Spain for kicking Xabi Alonso in the chest. De Jong received a yellow card for the challenge.
Women’s 100m champion fails doping test
Commonwealth Games women’s 100 meters gold medalist Osayemi Oludamola has tested positive for a banned stimulant, Games Federation chief Mike Fennell said on Monday.
Oludamola’s sample contained the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine, which was added to the World Anti Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of banned substances for the first time this year.
The 24-year-old has been suspended but will keep her gold medal until a hearing later Monday after her B sample has been tested.
“Any positive test, whether it is in a high-profile event or not, is something that is very much regretted because we all are striving for clean Games, clean sports and clean competitions, said Fennell.
The Nigerian took gold after Australian Sally Pearson, who crossed the line first in Thursday’s race, was disqualified for a false start three hours after the finish.
American Slocum wins McGladrey Classic by one stroke
American golfer Heath Slocum holed a 60-foot birdie putt at the 16th hole en route to a one-stroke victory on Sunday over compatriot Bill Haas at the inaugural McGladrey Classic at St. Simon’s Island in Georgia.
Slocum, despite a bogey at the last, posted a two-under-par 68 for a 14-under-par total of 266 for his first victory of the season and fourth of his U.S. PGA Tour career.
“The putt on 16, I mean that’s the tournament winner,” said 36-year-old Slocum, the overnight leader whose last win came at the 2009 Barclays, opening event of the FedExCup playoffs.
Haas, who won last week’s Viking Classic, eagled the par-five 15th to reach 13 under par but could not gain another stroke, parring the last three holes for a 66.
The 28-year-old Haas said he had an ideal chance for birdie at the par-four 16th but fouled up.
Injured Serena ‘likely’ out for rest of year
Serena Williams is likely to be out for the rest of the year after she re-injured her right foot from over-training, she said on Sunday.
Williams had earlier pulled out of next week’s Linz tournament in Austria.
However on Sunday she said the pain she felt on Saturday after training had meant she was now likely to be out for the rest of the year.
“I felt discomfort in my foot and tests by my doctor revealed that I had unfortunately re-strained it, as a result of over training (and) I am likely out for the year now,” Williams said on her official website.
The American, who has not played since she won her 13th grand slam at Wimbledon, had surgery after she cut her foot on broken glass at a restaurant in July.
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