Famous Badminton Players - A Salute to the Legends

Indonesia is a country that has brought some very famous Indonesian badminton players into the spot light.

Badminton lovers have watched and read about them in the past and continue to in the present. Being a main contender in many of the World Championships and other badminton competitive arenas, Indonesian players have often shown what it takes to be a champion. Some of the most exciting and famous Indonesian badminton players include Rudy Hartono, Lim Swee King, Tan Joe Hok and Ferry Sonneville.

Rudy Hartono Kurniawan is one of the most famous Indonesian badminton players of all time. As a child he longed to be a doctor but abandoned this dream when he fell in love with the sport and challenge of playing badminton. He was smart to do so as he is now a 8 time men's singles champion in the All England Tournaments which is considered to be one of the largest championships in the world.

Rudy Hartono has also helped the Indonesian team to win the Thomas Cup for a total of 4 times. His record is not the only thing about this badminton player that is impressive. He is greatly known and admired for his powerful famous smashes and excellent abilities on the badminton court.

Rudy Hartono started showing off his talent in badminton at the young age of 9 and was discovered by his father when he was 11. After his father saw his son's raw talent he started more intensive training and the rest seems to be history. He has the longest running hold on a title in the sport for men's singles that stretches from 1968 to 1974. Rudy Hartono is a name in badminton to be respected and recalled as one of Indonesia's greatest players.

Another famous Indonesian badminton player to pave the way for greatness in Indonesia is Tan Joe Hok. Tan Joe Hok was born in 1937 and is most often referred to as an Indonesian badminton hero. He produced many first time wins in the sport of badminton for Indonesia.

Hok was the first Indonesian badminton player to win The All England Cup in 1959 as well as the first Indonesian to win a gold medal in the Asian games in 1962. Tan Joe Hok has had many great accomplishments in the game of badminton including as a professional player and as a coach for rising badminton stars. He is a notable famous Indonesian badminton player to say the least.

Lim Swee King is another of Indonesia's greatest badminton players to have ever graced the courts. His badminton game was most popular from the 1970's and 1980's. King was an active competitor in both singles and doubles and was best known for his aggressive style of play and his amazingly powerful smash.

King has a long list of championship wins some of which include the All England Tournament winning in the years of 1978, 1979 and 1981. King was also instrumental in winning the Thomas Cup for Indonesia through out the years of 1976, 1979 and 1984. In 2002 King was indiucted into the International Badminton Federation Hall of Fame and is very deserving of this honor.

Finally among some of the Indonesian famous badminton players comes the late Ferry Sonneville who was and still is considered to be one of Indonesia's greatest badminton players to have been on the court. Living a full life, Sonneville passed away in November of 2003 but not after making his mark on the badminton courts. He was the proud owner of various international titles in badminton including the Dutch Open, the French Open and the Canadian Open. He was also a proud contender of the All England tournament on several occasions but defeated by fellow Indonesian Tan Joe Hok in the final of 1959.

Ferry Sonneville was more than just a competitor in the sport of badminton, he was instrumental in developing some of the prestigious badminton associations. While still involved in playing the sport he was also the vice president of the International Badminton Federation in the year of 1965. He also helped in establishing the Badminton Association of Indonesia in 1951. Aside from being a talented an excellent badminton player Ferry also wrote a popular book, Bulutangkis Bermutu, which translates to Excellent Badminton.

Among these names are some of Indonesia's most famous badminton players, yes there are others but these are noted and respected names in Indonesia. All these players executed stunning shots and moved across court with agility and grace. In most of their match it was clear who was thought to be the winning competitor. Famous Indonesian badminton players are still on the rise and Indonesia is a country that is thick with talent for this sport. Who will we see and want to watch playing next?