NANNING, China, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Germany's national badminton team coach Wang Xuyan says his team is well prepared for the upcoming Sudirman Cup and hopes to finish first in its Group.
"Our players are quite young, with an average age of around 22," Wang told Xinhua, adding that 21-year-old Yvonne Li, who joined the team two years ago, had made a significant improvement. "Now she's already ranked 40th in the BWF's women's singles rankings."
Germany are in Group 2B along with Canada, Singapore and Israel, and play their first match of the tournament against Israel on May 19. "The competitors in our group are well-matched in strength. And Team Germany will do our best and aim to finish the group in first place," Wang said.
Wang first came to Germany in 1990, and noted how the approach to the sport differed there in comparison with his home country. "In Germany, badminton was a common sport for amateurs back then. However, in China, almost all badminton players at that time were professionals, and there were nearly no amateur players."
"But now it's very different." Wang said, "Noting that in China the sporting atmosphere has improved a lot, and everyday people are now seen everywhere enjoying playing badminton."
The 2019 Sudirman Cup will be held from May 19 to 26 in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.