An article on the International Badminton Federation's website has praised

China's remarkable achievement at the recent Thomas and Uber Cup tournament.

 

The article hails China's success in defending the two team titles with a similar team as in 2004, saying China secured "an impressive win" in the finals of both the Thomas Cup and the Uber Cup with a clean sweep.

 

According to the article, Li Yongbo, Chinese team manager, has attributed the success to the solidarity and efficiency of his players.

 

"They each had a big responsibility for the final win and they were able to cope with the pressure and play excellent matches. In a way, they were there to prove that anybody can succeed with work and motivation, and even if the people from China cannot win Thomas Cup themselves, we proved them we could on their behalf, thanks to the dedication of our players."

 

China finishes up this incredible round of victories, after the Uber Cup was won the previous evening. And the statistics are quite impressive for Li Yongbo's boys and girls; not a single match was lost by any Chinese player during this event.

 

The IBF article predicts that China would be even stronger when they set off their defending journey in 2008 in Jakarta as most of the Chinese players are still in the early days of their career.

 

The team returned to a warm welcome at the Beijing International Airport Monday night.

 

(CRI May 9, 2006)