Badminton: NZ hoping to host world junior champs

New Zealand is looking to host the world junior badminton championships in 2007.

If Badminton New Zealand pulls it off, it will be the first time a premier event in one of the world's most popular sports has been staged here.

The fact that New Zealand is even putting its hand up for the hosting rights shows a confidence running through the sport, which this week is hosting its first one-star world grand prix event at Auckland's Badminton Hall on the back of achieving its best results at the world championships.

The grand prix event, which began yesterday, has US$30,000 ($43,000) prizemoney and has attracted some of the world's leading players. But the association has plans to bump up to two-star status, which means stumping up US$50,000.

"Realistically we should be aiming at 2008 for a two-star. That's the medium-term plan," chief executive Peter Dunne said yesterday.

The awarding of star tournaments is not a matter of pleading a case to the International Badminton Federation (IBF). It is happy to hand out star status providing the money is available and it has confidence that a national body will run a professional operation.

Having world championship mixed doubles bronze medallists Dan Shirley and Sara Runesten Petersen doesn't hurt New Zealand's status. It hasn't gone unnoticed that Rebecca Bellingham attained New Zealand's best singles result at a worlds, making the last 16, in Anaheim, Los Angeles, last week.

"They [IBF] are thrilled with what we're doing," Dunne said. "We are in their good books and we're very keen to stay that way.

"Getting a one-star under way is a very good testing ground for a world junior championship bid."

Badminton NZ has received $600,000 from funding agency Sparc through to the end of next June, which has helped preparation for the Commonwealth Games in March.

On the opening day of singles play yesterday, Bellingham was taken to three sets before beating Australia's Kellie Lucas 11-0, 7-11, 11-3.

Kiwi No 1 and tournament third seed Rachel Hindley scored a solid 11-5, 11-2 victory over Australian Whyte Trophy team member Tania Luiz. Men's top seed Sairul Amar Ayob of Malaysia beat Kiwi Daniel Forrest in straight games.