As a symbol the two boys can carry this special silver plate back to Denmark.

The other, who carried similar silverware and titles from the Tokyo Metro Gymnasium was:

Mixed Doubles: Muhammad Rijal / Vita Marissa, Indonesia – beating Novo Widianto / Liliyana Natsir, Indonesia, by 14-21, 21-15, 21-19.

Womens Singles: Wang Yihan, China – beating Zhou Mi, Hong Kong by 21-19, 17-21, 21-15.

Mens Singles: Sony Dwi Kuncoro, Indonesia – beating Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia, by 21-17, 21-11.

Womens Doubles:  Cheng Shu /Zhao Yuniel, China – beating Chin Eei Hui / Wong Pei Tty, Malaysia by 21-19, 5-21, 21-18.

Indonesia, China and Denmark had a good day – Malaysia may feel otherwise.

The Womens Singles Champion Wang Yihan is a player to look out for now – and it may not be the last time her victorious expression is seen on court:

Photographer: Dille Andersen, TOPBadminton.

At situation from the match:

The other two danish competitors failed. Tine Rasmussen could not beat the 3. Wang in a row. Not only did the dane according to herself had a “off day”- Wang Yihan is also a very strong and talented player. She got her ticket to the finals, beating Tine Rasmussen 21-15, 21-18.

Tine Rasmussen (left) and Wang Yihan from the match:

Joachim Persson was no match for Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia, who one by 21-6, 21-4. The dane trailed 0-9 in the first game, and and was down 1-16 in the 3. game. After only 20 minutes it was time to bow out:

Photographer: Dille Andersen, TOPBadminton.

Joachim Persson will soon get a chance to further add to his C.V. – He is to meet Lee Chong Wei in the 1/2-finals saturday!

The successfull dane in action:

The other danes kept their bottom-seeds – and with some ease.

Tine Rasmussen  met the 2. Wang in a row – Wang Chen, China, and won by 21-8, 21-16. After the match the dane attributed the victory to staying focused, while Wang Chen today made many mistakes. She also told the press, that her life really changed a year ago, when she won the tournament. She never doubted, that she would return to Japan – og hopefully for many years to come.

“I have never yet lost in this hall!”

The audience cheered her on, when she left the court after the match, and she really appreciated it – judging from the smiles all around, the japanse love this tall player from the other side of the world.

Tomorrow Tine Rasmussen is to meet the 3. Wang – Wang Yihan, China, in the 1/2-finals.

Mens Doubles pair Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen took on Chris Adcock and Robert Blair, England – winning 21-15, 21-18. They knew their opponents well, and had a plan. But after the match danes thought that they had relaxed at little too much in the 2. game, and let the english stress them – but keeping af a high pace and staying focused allowed Paaske and Rasmussen to win in 2 games.

Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen on the far side, playing against Chris Adcock and Robert Blair.

Photographer: Dille Andersen, TOPBadminton.

In Mens Doubles at least one danish pair had to bow out – as the two only pair in this tournament met in the 2. round. The match progressed as expected. The 2. seed Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen won easily over Anders Kristiansen and Simon Mollyhus, 21-17, 21-18.

The remaining matches with danes was successfull:

Joachim Persson – seeded 6th – beat Tommy Sugiarto, Indonesia, 21-14, 21-15.

And the defending Womens Singles champion, Tine Rasmussen, beat – not without a great struggle – Wang Lin, China, in 3 games: 10-21, 21-11, 21-18.

Below is the expression off Tine Rasmussen when she had bagged the match:

Photographer: Dille Andersen, TOPBadminton.

Other danes to fight in the first round was a relatively new pair of young players, Anders Kristiansen and Simon Mollyhus in Mens Doubles. They did well too – beating Chen Hung Ling and Chung Jen, Chinese Taipei 21-15, 21-18. In the second round, however, they are going to meet a more formidable – and to them well known – opponents: 2. seed compatriots Lars PÃ¥ske and Jonas Rasmussen.

Speaking of which – our photographer spottet the latter two releaxing in the press seats, as they have byes in the first round.

Photographer: Dille Andersen TOPBadminton.

After the match Peter Gade acknowledged to the press, that a year ago he would never have led at match like that slip away. As usual he could not put his finger on at specific failure, but he shure had to return to Denmark immediately and think it over. First and foremost, though he had to get back to his wife about to deliver the couples 2. child.

But before he left the press area, he let out his frustration of the fact, that due to financial priorities within the Danmarks Badminton Forbund, the few players actually going to Japan did not have any coaches along. He attributed the situation to a lack of long time planning in Denmark and called for at 4 year plan for tournaments, spanning the time between the Olympic Games. He pointed to China and England as nations, who understood the need for a proper plan.

He also was asked to evaluate the younger danish players level and he mourned the fact, that Denmark only really had Jan Ø. Jørgensen, when they neede 5 or 6 at good players in his age-group at the moment.

Jan Ø. Jørgensen beat Takuma Ueda, Japan, earlier in the same round 21-15, 21-12 – while the 3. danish Mens Single Joachim Persson beat Shoji Sato, Japan, in 3 games: 17-12, 21-10, 21-16. We noticed, that right after his match, Jan Ø. Jørgensen jumped ind at coached his teammates – though also Tony Gunawan, USA, lend a helping hand to the danes.

The latter situation is depicted in the picture below – Tony Gunawan (right) coaching Joachim Persson.

Photographer: Dille Andersen, TOPBadminton.

This is one of the images, that now are displayed in the TOPBadminton album.

TOPBadminton’s Dille Andersen provides press services (text and images) for the event on the official website. Official results are provided by TournamentSoftware and some of Dille’s photos can also be seen on TOPBadminton. Live coverage through video streaming is also available – look for Live-Streaming in the menu of the official website.

With Peter Gade absent the question was who would face Kenneth Jonassen in the finals. The honour fell upon Jan Ø Jørgensen, who lost 21-17, 21-19, after almost turning the match late in the 2. game. Kenneth Jonassen (right) is the new Mens Singles Champion.

A Year about 13 months after Mens Single Player Joachim Fischer (right in the picture to the left) surprised everybody – including himself – as being quite a capable doubles player, he won the Mixed Doubles Championship – with his girlfriend Ann-Lou Jørgensen. Injury made his regular Mixed Double partner, Britta Andersen, retire just before the tournament. Luckily Ann-Lou Jørgensen – herself retired from the world elite last year – was available – and still quiet a capable substitute. Their opponent was also a last minute mix: Thomas Laybourn was forced to retire, but Lars Paaske stepped in, and helped Kamilla Rytter Juhl into the finals. A long 3 gamer 9-21, 21-18, 21-11.

Mens Doubles was number one – Jens Eriksen and Martin Lundgaard – against number two Carsten Mogensen and Mathias Boe. Number two (rigth) won – 21-17, 21-14.

Womens Doubles also had a little surprise in store. Two very experienced – but retired – players Mette van Dalm and Helene Kirkegaard (left) beat the younger talents Marie Røpke and Helle Nielsen in straight games: 26-24, 21-19. But as the figures tells – It was a very even match, particular the first game.

This completes the 2008 Danish National Senior Championships. The coverage has not been as complete as we would have liked. TOPBadminton was the elected official photographer for the event, however, so that had to be our primary concern. Some of the surplus pictures from the event can be viewed at TOPBadminton, while the official can be found on badminton.dk.

Official results are now recorded at TournamentSoftware.

This article has been rewritten and published march 12th, 2008.