Over the years there have been many Badminton legends. Let’s see if you know any of them!
Badminton over the years has grown popular over the world as its been producing some great talent.
When one thinks of Badminton legends, a lot of names come to mind. There are a lot of popular players that stand out; such as Taufik Hidayat, Peter Gade, Lin Dan, and many more.
But there so many other Badminton players who have accomplished a lot, who you may have not heard of at all.
So let’s have a look.
Born to Chinese immigrants, the Indonesian Liem Swie King was an absolute Badminton sensation.
He was known for his jump smash as it was a deadly stroke. He would set up his rallies in such a way that opponents used to dread facing those bullet-like smashes. One of his most impressive feats was winning the prestigious All England Championship 3 times. Not just that, he reached the finals a whopping 6 times.Opponents used to dread facing those bullet-like smashes. One of his most impressive feats was winning the prestigious All England Championship 3 times. Not just that, he reached the finals a whopping 6 times.
He has reached the ultimate rounds of 2 World Championships. After having a successful career in singles, he switched to doubles.
He is considered an extremely worthy successor to Rudy Hartono; who too is a Badminton legend.
Han Aiping is one of China’s most iconic Badminton players. She was an outstanding women’s singles player who was known for her sheer speed and fitness. Her attacking game was on point.
Han displayed her amazing talent when she won 1 World Badminton Federation World Championships in 1979, and 2 International Badminton Federation (IBF) World Championships.
However, she didn’t just shine in the singles category. She dominated in the doubles category as well. With her partner, Li, she won an All England Championship title, 1 IBF World Championships, 1 Asian Games title, and 3 World Cups. Impressive, right?
Han earned her place in the IBF hall of fame in 1998.
Susy is undoubtedly one of the best Indonesian player of her era. For the most of the 90’s and a bit of the late 80’s, she dominated the women’s singles category. She has won almost all titles a Badminton player can possibly win. However, her most notable wins include her World Championship win and first ever Olympic medal.
Her list of achievements includes 4 All England titles, six consecutive World Grand Prix titles, 5 World Cups and countless Grand Prix crowns. She played a major role when Indonesia conquered the first Sudirman Cup in 1989. Her contribution at the Uber Cup in 1994 and 1996 is priceless.
Susy’s ability to hold long rallies combined with her solid defence made her a force to reckon with.
What an inspiration to the younger generation of Badminton players.
It was Gu Jun and Ge Fei who were the best women’s doubles pair in the 1990’s. Their outstanding performance landed them a cover feature in eminent magazines like IBF magazine and World Badminton.
They won two back to back gold medals at the mighty Olympics in 1996 followed by 2000. Apart from the Olympics, the Chinese pair 4 four All England titles, 6 consecutive titles at the World Grand Prix from 1994-1999, and 2 crowns at the 1998 Asian Games (women’s doubles and team event). The played a key role in China’s success, bringing home gold medals at the Sudirman Cup (1995, 1997, 1999) and Uber Cup(1998, 2000).
Words can’t explain how difficult it is to accomplish what this Chinese pair have accomplished.
It was in 1996 that Kim rose to fame when he shocked the World by claiming the Atlanta Olympic gold medal. This was just the beginning. Kim went on to dominate both the men’s doubles as well as mixed doubles category.
He won gold in both, Men’s and Mixed Doubles at the 1999 World Championships. Kim and his fiance, Ra Kyung Min, partnered up. They turned out to become one of the strongest Mixed Doubles partners of time. They did not drop a single match from April to November in 2003. Their winning streak was continuous. They bagged 10 straight victorious tournaments, including 9 consecutive Grand Prix titles and 1 World Championship title.
Kim and Ra earned the Eddie Choong Player of the Year award in 2003. Previously, Kim earned this award on his own in 2001.
Kim and his men’s doubles partner, Ha Tae Kwon won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.
At present, Kim is the only player to have ever won Olympic gold in both the Men’s and Mixed Doubles category.
In 2004, after a magnificent career, Kim called it quits and settled down with his former mixed partner, Ra Kyung Min.
These Badminton players may be less popular now, but their records and achievements are glorious. They motivate the younger generation to do better and strive for more. Badminton being a competitive sport requires a lot of hard work and dedication.
These Badminton legends truly deserve to be remembered.
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