Representing the United States of America in the sport of badminton at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil will be:

Men:
Howard Bach (San Francisco, Calif./Orange, Calif.)
Khan “Bob” Malaythong (Rockville, Md./Orange, Calif.)
Eric Go (Palo Alto, Calif./Orange, Calif.)
Nicholas Jinadasa (Long Beach, Calif.)

Women:
Eva Lee (Orange, Calif.)
Mesinee “May” Mangkalakiri (Garden Grove, Calif.)
Jamie Subandhi (Westminster, Calif.)
Kuei-Ya “Joanne” Chen (Irvine, Calif.)

Head Coach: Cai Zi Min (Orange, Calif.)
Assistant Coach: Kevin Hussey (Charleston, Ill.)
Team Leader: Linda Shen (Baldwin Park, Calif.)

All 2007 United States Pan American Games Team nominations are subject to final acceptance by the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors.

Competition results for the 2007 United States Pan American Games Team Trials for Badminton were as follows:

Men’s Singles:
Eric Go def. Nicholas Jinadasa, 21-11, 21-13

Women’s Singles:
Eva Lee def. Shannon Pohl, walkover (Pohl was a no show)

Men’s Doubles:
Howard Bach/Bob Malaythong def. Matt Fogarty/Dean Schoppe, 21-6, 21-6

Women’s Doubles:
Eva Lee/May Mangkalakiri def. Jamie Subandhi/Joanne Chen, 21-10, 21-18

Mixed Doubles:
Howard Bach/Eva Lee def. Bob Malaythong/May Mangkalakiri, 21-17, 21-15

The United States Team will enter the 2007 Pan American Games with substantial experience. Howard Bach is the 2005 World Champion in men’s doubles (with Tony Gunawan) and an Olympian from 2004 where he represented the United States in men’s doubles (with Kevin Han). This will be the third Pan American Games for Bach. He won the gold medal in men’s doubles (with Kevin Han) at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and silver in men’s doubles (with Mark Manha) at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Along with Bach, Team USA also boasts three other members that have Pan American Games experience. Eva Lee, May Mangkalakiri and Jamie Subandhi were all members of the 2003 U.S. Pan American Games Team that competed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Mangkalakiri won the bronze medal in mixed doubles (with Raju Rai) at the 2003 Pan American Games. Subandhi was the youngest member of the entire U.S. Delegation for the 2003 Pan American Games.

The team will also enter the 2007 Pan American Games coming off of strong performances at the 2007 Pan American Badminton Championships, May 15-19 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, an event in which Bach and Lee won gold in mixed doubles; Bach and Malaythong won silver in men’s doubles and Lee and Mangkalakiri won silver in women’s doubles. Team USA also took the silver medal in the team event.

The 2007 Pan American Games will be held, July 13-29 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The badminton competition is scheduled to take place from July 14-19 and will be held in the Riocentro Convention Center. Team USA will compete in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Unlike the 2003 Pan American Games, performances at the 2007 Pan American Games will not count toward an athlete’s international ranking in the Badminton World Federation.

For more information, please contact Cecil Bleiker, United States Olympic Committee NGB Services Manager at 719-866-4608. This press release is also available on the USOC’s media specific website at www.usocpressbox.org.