Chong Wei's ranking continues to plunge

Lee Chong Wei is now ranked eighth in the world and it

KUALA LUMPUR: National shuttler Lee Chong Wei is now ranked eighth in the world.

And it’s likely to to plunge even further in the next three weeks.

The latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking list shows Chong Wei dropping five rungs from third – the biggest drop since he was suspended for a doping violation last November.

He was tested positive for banned substance dexamethasone during the World Championships in Copenhagen last August. He is awaiting a hearing with BWF on April 11 in Amsterdam.

Chong Wei did not defend his title in last week’s All-England in Birmingham. He is set to lose more points as he won’t be able to defend his titles at the Indian Open from March 24-29 and the Malaysian Open from March 31-April 5 as well.

Reigning All-England champion Chen Long of China remained firmly at the top while All-England runner-up Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark continued to hang on to second spot.

Five-time world champion Lin Dan, who lost to compatriot Chen Long in the semi-finals in Birmingham, moved up two rungs from fifth to third.

WORLD RANKING
(Top 5 only)

Men’s singles: 1. Chen Long (Chn), 2. Jan O Jorgensen (Den), 3. Lin Dan (Chn), 4. K. Srikanth (Ind), 5. Son Wan-ho (Kor). Selected: 8. Lee Chong Wei, 37. Chong Wei Feng, 54. Zulfadli Zulkiffli, 58. Mohd Arif Abdul Latif, 64. Tan Chun Seang, 83. Goh Soon Huat, 91. Liew Daren, 96. Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin. Men’s doubles: 1. Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor), 2. Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den), 3. Lee Sheng-mu-Tsai Chia-Hsin (Tpe), 4. Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan (Chn), 5. Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa (Jpn). Selected: 56. Tan Wee Kiong-Goh V Shem, 65. Jagdish Singh-Roni Tan Wee Long, 86. Chooi Kah Ming-Teo Kok Siang.

Women’s singles: 1. Li Xuerui (Chn), 2. Saina Nehwal (Ind), 3. Wang Shixian (Chn), 4. Carolina Marin (Spa), 5. Sung Ji-hyun (Kor). Selected: 1. 66. Tee Jing Yi, 67. Lydia Cheah, 69. Sannatasah Saniru.

Women’s doubles: 1. Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei (Chn), 2. Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn), 3. Kamilla Rytter Juhl-Christinna Pedersen (Den), 4. Luo Ying-Luo Yu (Chn), 5. Reika Kakiiwa-Miyuki Maeda (Jpn). Selected: 17. Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei, 25. Amelia Anscelly-Soong Fie Cho, 37. Lee Meng Yean-Lim Yin Loo, 72. Yap Cheng Wen-Joyce Choong Wai Chi.

Mixed doubles: 1. Zhang Jun-Zhao Yunlei (Chn), 2. Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den), 3. Xu Chen-Ma Jin (Chn), 4. Tontowi Ahmad-Lilyana Natsir (Ina), 5. Chris Adcock-Gabrielle Adcock (Eng). Selected: 47. Wong Fai Xin-Chow Mei Kuan, 50. Tan Chee Tean-Shevon Lai Jemie, 58. Tan Aik Quan-Lai Pei Jing, 80. Mohd Lutfi Zaim Abdul Khalid-Soong Fie Cho.