Muggeridge's title ambitions ended by injury jinx

Badminton

Jo Muggeridge went out of the English nationals again and complained about a lack of Olympic funding on her 27th birthday at Norwich yesterday.

Muggeridge, the top seed, pulled out injured only an hour before her scheduled quarter-final against Hampshire's Sara Hore. Muggeridge, ordered to rest a damaged achilles tendon, said: "I'm absolutely shattered. This is my jinx event."

Although Muggeridge is England's highest-placed player in the world singles rankings at 24, she has never won her own national title - and this is the fifth successive year Muggeridge has had injury problems.

"I should have walked this tournament," Muggeridge said. "My ranking is far higher than anyone else involved. I'm completely gutted." The Kent woman is also furious over a shortage of cash support for her Olympic qualifying bid.

n Ardy Wiranata, the former All England champion and silver medallist at the Barcelona Olympic games in 1992, has not qualified for the Atlanta games. The Indonesian game is so strong that he is rated only fourth in his own country.