Badminton elite to vie for $100 mi. prize in Dubai Superseries Finals

Korean badminton players are hunting for oil dollars. They will compete in the BWF Destination Dubai World Superseries Finals in the United Arab Emirates, starting Wednesday. Only top eight players in this year’s major competitions can play for the total prize money of one million U.S. dollars. A country can send maximum two players in each event. The BWF Superseries Finals, the first badminton big competition in Middle East, aim to expand the sport in the region where badminton is not popular.

Korean national team vies for medals in the Superseries Finals as it has done pretty well in the global competitions this year. In particular, people pin a hope on the world’s top team -- Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong -- and the world’s fourth ranking Son Wan-ho.

Lee Yong-dae, who had been punished for dodging a doping test early this year, managed to team up with Yoo Yeon-seong for a medal. The team is determined to beat the jinx as they reaped only silver medals in the World Badminton Championship and the Incheon Asian Games. The prize money for men’s doubles is 84,000 dollars. Lee Yong-dae once won the prize with Jeong Jae-seong in 2009.

Son Wan-ho will participate in the competition for the first time. He seems to be confident as the world’s no.2 Lee Chong Wei of China fails to join the event due to doping allegations. Moreover, Son beat the world’s No.1 Chen Long of China in last month’s Hong Kong Open.

The reigning men`s doubles world champion -Ko Sung-hyun and Shin Baek-choel- is in the center of attention. Meanwhile, in women’s single, Sung Ji-hyun and Bae Youn-joo will also participate in the event.