DANISH LEAGUE – Back to work!

The Danish champions are back to work with the first leg of their national Interclub league. The elite division played this week in Denmark, with no major surprise as most favourites won their ties against lower ranked opponents, but this season once again should be exciting as Greve Strands put their title at stake. Some of Denmark’s best players are involved in this Interclub Elite league. Only Peter Gade has decided to skip the event this year to focus fully on his Olympic preparations.

By Raphael Sachetat. Photos: Badmintonphoto

The regular season will see all teams play each other before another set of matches are decided upon ranking, with 2 direct tickets to the semi-finals, while other teams will have to play quarter-finals.The last two teams of the regular season will not participate in this knock-out stage.

There will be fewer foreign players than the previous years, where likes of Nathan Robertson, Tony Gunawan or others had made the trip to Denmark to represent local clubs, but this will give an opportunity for local stars to shine.

The off-season saw a lot of changes from players who switched from one club to the other. Greve lost its mixed doubles pair of Mateusiak/Zieba but will receive the services of Jonas Rasmussen.  Team Aarhus, a project led by Morten Frost, seem to have lost most chances to win the title as most of its stars left the team- including Morten Frost himself, who announced recently he would leave the professional badminton world. Another club from the same city – Aarhus AB- could, on the contrary, play the trouble makers, led by India’s excellent Anand Pawar.

Jan O Jorgensen, still recovering from his hamstring injury, didn’t play in this first leg with his team-mates from Skovshoved but the good news is that the top ranked member of Denmark’s men’s singles squad (apart from Gade) will return to the court soon.

“I went to see them play but I didn’t play last time,” said Jorgensen. “However, I played my first match today and all went well. I’m so happy. It means I will be on the team Monday.”

Jorgensen hopes his team will get a medal at the end of the championships. “Greve is the clear favourite, but it’s still an open league,” added the Dane.

Jorgensen will probably be playing for the second leg against Canada’s Wojcikiewicz who was not fielded for the first leg with Lillerod.

The next leg is on Monday, September 5th.

Results:

Greve beat Skovshoved 6-0
Skælskør-Slagelse beat Solrod Str. 4-2
Aarhus beat Gentofte 4-2
Vendsyssel beat Lillerod 4-2
Aarhus AB beat Vaerlose 4-2

Team line ups

Greve Strands
Joachim Persson
Jens Kristian Leth
Nanna Brosolat
Lars Paaske
Kasper Henriksen
Jonas Rasmussen
Kamilla Rytter Juhl
Li Wenyan
Christina Pedersen

Skovshoved
Jan O Jorgensen (injured)
Daniel Damgaard
Morten Spurr
Mette Viscovich
Mads Pier Kolding
Jonas Glygager
Simon Mollyhus
Julie Houmann
Pernille Harder
Mette Schjoldager

Solrod Str.
Rasmus Fladberg
Emil Holst
Sandra Maria Jensen
Joan Christensen
Theis Christiansen
Niclas Nohr
Mads Pedersen
Anne Marie Pedersen
Line Damgaard

Skælskør-Slagelse
Hans Kristian Vittinghus
Mattias Borg
Judith Meulendijks (NED, injured)
Mette Poulsen
Joachim Fischer Nielsen
Robert Mateusiak (POL)
Carsten Mogensen
Mie Schjott Kristensen
Nadiezda Zieba (POL)
Britta Andersen

Team Aarhus
Jeppe Lund
Morten Brodbaek
Maria Heskind
Jakob Staael
Morten Bodskov
Anders Skaarup Rasmussen
Line Noorgard
Nanna Vestergaard
Lene Mork

Gentofte
Scott Evans (IRE)
Morten Kronborg
Line Isberg
Sam Magee (IRE)
Christian Skovgaard
Frederik Colberg
Line Kruse
Marie Ropke
Helle Nielsen

Vendsyssel
Peter Mikkelsen
Eric Pang (NED)
Yao Jie (NED)
Nikoal Overgard
Zwonomir Durkinjak (CRO)
Thomas Laybourn
Rikke Axelsen
Camilla Sorensen
Lena Frier

Lillerod
Stefan Wojcikiewicz (Not fielded Leg 1)
Jesper Andersen
Thomas Fynbo
Karina Jorgensen
Jacob Chemnitz
Mikkel Elbjorn
Mikkel Deblo Larsen
Rikke Olsen Siegemund
Ann Nielsen
Trine Niemeier

Aarhus AB
Anand Pawar (IND)
Flemming Quach
Sofie Futtrup
Kim Astrup
Rasmus Bonde
Mats Bue
Amalie Fangel
Tine Hoy
Line Kjaresfeld

Vaerlose
Kasper Ipsen
Emil Vind
Tine Baun
Rasmus Mangor
Mark Philip Winter
Anders Kristiansen
Karina Sorensen
Maria Helsbol
Tinna Helgadottir (ISL)

Results HERE