In-form Chen, Marin target gold in Glasgow

GLASGOW: Chin’s Chen Long and Spain’s Carolina Marin are gunning for their fourth majors titles in a row here at the world badminton championships starting on Monday (today).

Both stars turn up in Scotland after winning world singles titles and Olympic gold in Rio.Chen is only seeded fifth behind World No.1 Son Wan Ho, veteran Lee Chong Wei, Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen and Shi Yuqi.

And the 28-year-old also has a tough draw., with arch rival Lee Chong Wei looming in the quarter-finals.Lee, who will be 35 in October, won his fourth All-England Open title this season and the hope for Malaysia is that he continues in the game until the next Olympics, and wins the elusive gold medal in Tokyo in 2020.

He took silver in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016.South Korea’s Ho, the new world No.1, spearheaded his country to victory in the Sudirman Cup in May, and winning the individual world title in Glasgow is his season’s priority.

“It is my target for the year,” confirmed the 29-year-old, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals.“I want to do much better than I have down at past world championships.”Marin meanwhile is seeded third in the women’s singles which is missing world No. 1, Tai Tzu-ying.“I always focus on a single tournament,” said the 24-year-old, indicating that Glasgow 2017 is the one.“I haven’t won a Super Series title this year, but it was similar last year and I won the biggest one of all.”  —AFP