VietNamNet Bridge – World No 8 Nguyen Tien Minh kicks off his 2011 at the Victor-BWF Super Series Final in Chinese Taipei on January 5-9.

Top man: Vietnamese top badminton player Nguyen Tien Minh plays in the National Sports Games in Da Nang last week. He will be competing in the BWF Super Series Final in Chinese Taipei. (Photo: VNS)

The Super Series Final is for the eight highest rated players or pairs in the Super Series Standings, but is limited to a maximum of two players or pairs per member association.

The Finals are the climax of the 12-leg Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super Series circuit.

All eight athletes competing in the tournament's men's singles event will receive US$4,200 in appearance fees. Bonuses will be awarded to the players that progress further.

Minh who is seeded No 6 at the tournament will face difficulties, but it is not beyond the realms of possibility for him to take the $40,000 winner's cash prize.

The finals will feature the doubles Olympic defending champion Lin Dan of China and his world gold medallist team mate Chen Jin, who had limited appearances on the Super Series circuit this year, including failing to qualify for the Finals after they finished 11th and ninth respectively in the Super Series Standings.

In Taipei, Lee Chong Wei, the men's singles World No 1, will be joined by 2010 World Championships silver medallist Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, European champion Peter Gade from Denmark, Denmark Open champion Jan Jorgensen and the vastly improved Chen Long, heir apparent to three-time world champion Lin Dan.

Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana and China's Du Pengyu round up the cast for the men's singles.

The Vietnamese shuttler, who turned 27 on December 2, falls into the second tier of top competitors along with Ponsana, Du Pengyu and Jorgensen. However, Minh defeated Lee at the Singapore Open in 2009.

The draw was held late yesterday, Jan 3, with the championship to be held at the Hsinchuang Gymnasium.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News