The 2005 Sudirman Cup Badminton Championships will kick off early next month, and China is aiming to win the mixed team title for the fifth time.

At a press conference held in Beijing, Wednesday, Liu Fengyan, director of China's Table Tennis and Badminton Sports Administration Center, says the Chinese team hope to reclaim the Sudirman Cup they lost two years ago.

"China won the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup last year. And a victory in the Sudirman Cup will make it the first country to win all three team titles, which has never happened in badminton history. "

China, who won the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh Sudirman Cup titles, lost to South Korea 1-3 in Eindhoven in 2003.

The host team are in high spirits after the players put in strong performances at this month's German Open and All-England Championships. Chinese players won four out of five titles on both occasions.

Source: CRI News