Badminton-Chen still an Olympic contender, says China coach

BEIJING, July 11 (Reuters) China badminton coach Liu Yongbo has held out an olive branch to world number two Chen Hong, saying the resurgent free agent could still make the Olympic team, local media reported today.

Chen, 27, quit the national team after being omitted from the talent-rich squad for last December's Asian Games, but came out of retirement in April.

Liu later denounced Chen's comeback on his own terms as being bad for the national team, but on the eve of the China Masters starting today was more conciliatory, the Beijing Morning Post said.

''If he can maintain this level, and earn enough Olympic qualifying points, then he still has a chance to represent the national team at next year's Olympics,'' Liu said of Chen, who last week won the Thailand Open in Bangkok and has climbed to second in the world rankings.

Chen, who faces potential bouts against fellow top-10 compatriots Chen Jin and Lin Dan at the China Masters in Chengdu, is not thinking about the Olympics, the Beijing News quoted him as saying.

''Let me concentrate on playing first. As to the rest, we can talk about it later,'' Chen said.

REUTERS TB KP1500