China's Huang Sui (top) and Gao Ling return a shot during women's doubles game at the World Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur on August 15, 2007.

A?Chinese badminton champion, still on the payroll as a sports official, who was "missing" for three years, turned up at a tournament over the weekend - representing Australia.

Chinese officials and spectators were baffled to see Huang Sui compete for the home nation at the Australian Badminton Open in Sydney, which ended yesterday.

She has become an Australian citizen, according to the player profile on the World Badminton Federation website.

Huang retired in 2007 after wining three world women's doubles titles and three Uber Cups with her partner, Gao Ling, and became a sports bureau official.

"I was totally confused to see Huang's name on the list of competitors, as she's still deputy director of the Hunan Province Badminton Administrative Center," said Tang Hui, director of the center.

"A Chinese sports official was representing a foreign country in international competition," Tang said.

Sports officials said they put up missing person notices for Huang after losing contact with her three years ago.

An official's salary is still paid into Huang's Chinese bank account, and Hunan officials said they would report the situation to the state-level sports administration before taking further action.

Huang, 31, competed with another former Chinese player, Tang Hetian, for Australia but lost 0-2 to a Chinese Taipei pair.

Afterwards, Huang told reporters she is "still getting used to a left-handed partner" - former partner Gao Ling is right-handed - and had "no detailed plans for international badminton matches."

She declined to answer any other questions after the match.

Huang retired to take care of her dying father, despite being regarded as one of China's best gold medal hopes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

She was then appointed the deputy director of the Hunan center, but never worked there and lost contact with staff after marrying a businessman in 2008, said Tang.

As Huang had never submitted her resignation, a salary is still paid, Tang said.

A player can compete for a foreign country once a citizen there for three years, World Badminton Federation rules state.