Saina and I have shown that Chinese can be beaten: Baun

Tine, 31, has been taking the Chinese head on for a much longer time before Saina joined forces with her. 

"It is good that along with me Saina is high up there in the rankings. This clearly shows that it is not impossible to beat the Chinese," Tine told IANS.

"Saina has an attacking game. She has been taking on the Chinese on level terms and it is good for the sport. You cannot wish away that the Chinese are your biggest opponents, and to be among the top you have to keep beating them on a regular basis," she said.

Tine, who has won the All-England title twice, in 2008 and 2010, says you have to be mentally strong to counter the Chinese, who train very hard.

"People think that they are strong, that is a mistake. You have to push them. I have always played with an attitude that I am there to fight you (Chinese players)."

"They (China) have so many people involved in badminton. It is the top sport and everyone wants to play badminton there. That is why they are a dominant force. If they do well in world badminton, they can do well for their families. For us (Danes), education is an important aspect of life."

Tine, who is coming back from an injury, has been vocal in her criticism of Chinese players getting away flouting the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rules.

She could not defend her All-England title this year owing to a heel injury, but had to be present during the tournament as per the new BWF rule that stipulates the presence of top players at all the premier tournaments.

Interestingly, while Tine showed up in England despite the injury, China’s Wang Yihan, who too was injured, was missing from the scene.

"I was there, the other players were there, but not Wang Yihan. Chinese deliberately seem to flout the rules. It was obvious Wang stayed home to train."

"The rule is good, but it should be followed by everyone. Even I would have like to stay  home and rest. If one person is following the rule and the other is not then it is not fair."
Tine says she is preparing for the World Championships and the Olympics.

"I have been out with injury. I could not defend my All-England title and my ranking is dipping very fast. So the next few tournaments are important to get my ranking back."

"I had some match practice at home but playing these tournaments are important to improve my ranking," said the Dane who is married to the team physio Martin Baun.

Asked about the new skirt rule, Tine says that it should be left to the players. "Can you ask men to wear a particular dress and play? Each player knows his or her comfort level and you should not decide what is good for them," she says.

Tine believes the profile of the game can be improved by promoting the top players.
"It can be made more professional, there should be promotional events, big posters and banners at big tournaments."