Badminton: Nielsen attacks tight schedule

ANDERS NIELSEN, the 1992 English national champion and the chairman of the players' association, has alleged the Badminton Association is 'unprofessional' for sticking to the formula which contributed to his collapse in last year's final, writes James Leigh.

Nielsen's chances of successfully defending the title ended with acute cramp after two long matches on the same day, and the draw and schedule for this year's event, starting in Norwich today, make a similar scenario possible.

The second-seeded Nielsen has a probable semi-final once more with Peter Knowles, the only other player who is a serious contender for Darren Hall's title. The winner should play the former European champion only three hours later.