Badminton: Organisers allay health fears

A TYPHOID scare, prompted by the absence of two leading Indonesians from the World Championships, was partially offset by the tournament doctor's statement that competitors were in no immediate danger at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham yesterday, writes James Leigh.

The world's top-ranked doubles player, Rexy Mainaky, who has been left behind in Jakarta, has the disease according to Indonesia's manager, Leo Wiranata. Mainaky's regular room-mate, Bambang Suprianto, has a temperature of 40C and has been in isolation in Dudley Road Hospital for two days awaiting the outcome of tests. The results will be known tomorrow.

Dr Ashwin Patel, the World Championships' medical adviser, said: 'At the moment typhoid seems unlikely. But we would ask everyone to take care over personal hygiene.' Suprianto is apparently being treated as though he had gastro-enteritis, but whether this is so will not be known until six tests for typhoid have been completed.

Indonesia play England today as overwhelming favourites in the Sudirman Cup world team championship, even with a weakened men's doubles partnership. The England manager, Ciro Ciniglio, has promised changes against Indonesia and the possibility is that this country's best-known partnership - Gill Clark and Gillian Gowers - may split up after one of several disappointing performances in the opening 5-0 defeat against Denmark.