Former world class players Anders Boesen and Peter Rasmussen (both Denmark) showed that they can still play badminton at a very high level as they roll into the semi-finals of this week’s BWF World Senior Championships in Helsingborg, Sweden.

Thursday afternoon in the Helsingborg Arena, No. 1-seeded former world champion Peter Rasmussen (+40) throttled Dutch player Gerben Bruijstens  21-3, 21-10 in a startlingly swift 14 minutes. Rasmussen will face his compatriot Gregers Schytt in tomorrow’s semi-finals. Earlier in the +35 age group, Boesen similarly dispatched No. 9/16 Naruenart Chuaymak of Thailand in a more mundane 32 minutes. Boesen, a former top-5 player, will play Russia’s Stanislav Pukhov in the semis tomorrow.

Boesen is also through to the last four stage of the men’s doubles with partner Andreas Borella. The Danish pair will now face former Indonesian superstars Tony Gunawan, a double world champion and Olympic gold medalist, and his partner Flandy Limpele. Peter Rasmussen and his partner Thomas Stavngaard, Denmark Open winner in 1996 with his former partner Jim Laugesen, advanced to the last four beating Swedish hopes Martin Hagberg/Erik Sjostedt in straight games 21-18, 21-10. For a place in Saturday’s finals the Danes will play the English duo of Carl Jennings and Mark King, seeded at ¾.

More information on the BWF World Senior Championships can be found on the official Facebook page of the event.

One of Thursday’s highlights was the men’s doubles quarter-finals of the +40 category as Tri Kusharyanto and Hariyanto Arbi of Indonesia played Jens Eriksen and Gregers Schytt of Denmark. Arbi, 1995 world champion, and Kusharyanto, who is a former world class doubles and mixed player, won 21-14, 18-21, 21-18 to advance to the semi-finals.



Germany’s Heidi Bender began her gold medal bid in the +55 category at this year’s World Senior Championships with two easy victories. The number one seed beat Irina Shalmanova of Russia 21-12, 21-4 and Ursula Heale of England 21-9, 21-5 in impressive fashion. Bender will face Kuniko Yamamoto (3/4) in tomorrow’s semi-finals. Bender won the title of +55 category two years ago at the World Championships in Ankara, Turkey. England’s Janet Walker is also safely through to the semi-final stage after a 21-8, 21-6 victory over Hedwig Herzog of Germany. Walker takes on unseeded Linda Wood in an-all English semi-final.

Defending champion and top seeded Renate Gabriel (Germany) set up a semi-final against her country-woman Elvira Richter in the +70 category. England’s Barbara Gibson takes on Japanese Satoko Nakamura.

All results and draws can be found here.

Visit the official website here.

Article by Manuel Rösler. Photos by Fredrixzon (Organizer).