China's head coach Li Yongbo said their All England badminton championship clean sweep of all five titles had not been uppermost in their minds here.

Li Yongbo [File photo]

China had won all five at a World Championships before, but that was in Beijing back in 1987, and this, in European conditions, was a far tougher task. It was also the first clean sweep at the All England event since 1948.

Li said: "We didn't think about winning all five titles. We mustn't think about outside factors, or we can't play the way we have."

Asked if China's controversial decision to skip the Super Series finals in Malaysia in December had been justified by this performance, Li answered, laughing: "Do you think we made the wrong choice?"

Asked if China will compete in the next Super Series finals, Li answered: "It depends on each team and each circumstances. We have to look at what is best for each player. We didn't think the decision was controversial."

(Agencies via China Daily March 10, 2009)