Famous 20th Century Badminton Players

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 1 
Prakash Padukone
(Former Indian Badminton Player Who Became the First Indian to Win the All England Open Badminton Championships)
Prakash Padukone
19
Birthdate: June 10, 1955
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Arjuna Award- and Padma Shri-winning Indian badminton player and former world number 1, Prakash Padukone was the first to win the All-England Open Badminton Championship from India. A World Cup and Commonwealth Games champion, he co-owns Olympic Gold Quest. He is also known as Bollywood star Deepika Padukone’s father.

 2 
Pullela Gopichand
(The Second Indian to Win the All England Open Badminton Championship)
Pullela Gopichand
13
Birthdate: November 16, 1973
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Prakasam, Andhra Pradesh, India

The second Indian badminton player to win the All-England Open Badminton Championships, Indian badminton star Pullela Gopichand now coaches the Indian national team. He was 11 when he began playing the sport. An Asian Championship bronze winner, he has been awarded countless honors, such as the Arjuna Award and the Padma Bhushan.

 3 
Lee Chong Wei
(Malaysian Former Badminton Player and Three-Time Olympic Silver Medallist)
Lee Chong Wei
41
Birthdate: October 21, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bagan Serai, Malaysia
Malaysian former badminton player Datuk Lee Chong Wei held the first rank for 349 weeks as a singles player, thus becoming the only player from his country to be number one for over a year. He is a three-time Olympic silver medalist but quit the game after his cancer diagnosis.
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 4 
Susi Susanti
(Indonesia Retired Badminton Player)
Susi Susanti
14
Birthdate: February 11, 1971
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia
 5 
Peter Gade
(Danish Former Professional Badminton Player)
Peter Gade
12
Birthdate: December 14, 1976
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Aalborg, Denmark
 6 
Rudy Hartono
(One of the Greatest Badminton Players of All Time)
Rudy Hartono
5
Birthdate: August 18, 1949
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
 7 
Zhang Ning
(Chinese Former Badminton Player)
Zhang Ning
4
Birthdate: May 19, 1975
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Jinzhou, Liaoning, China

Zhang Ning is a Chinese retired professional badminton player who won the gold medal at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, becoming the only female badminton player to win successive Olympic singles gold medals. A three-time winner at Asian Games, Zhang Ning has also represented China in international competitions like the Sudirman Cup and Uber Cup.

 8 
Alan Budikusuma
(Indonesian Former Badminton Player)
Alan Budikusuma
3
Birthdate: March 29, 1968
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
 9 
Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen
(Retired Danish Badminton Player and the Current President of the Badminton World Federation)
Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen
3
Birthdate: September 20, 1965
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Helsinge, Denmark
 10 
Mia Audina
(Badminton player)
Mia Audina
3
Birthdate: August 22, 1979
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Jakarta, Indonesia
 11 
Park Joo-bong
(South Korean Former Badminton Player)
Park Joo-bong
3
Birthdate: December 5, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Imsil, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
 12 
Misbun Sidek
(Malaysian Former Badminton Player)
Misbun Sidek
8
Birthdate: February 17, 1960
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Banting, Malaysia

Misbun Sidek is a Malaysian former badminton player best known for winning the bronze medal in the men's doubles event at the 1980 World Championships in Jakarta. He has also won medals at important tournaments like World Cups, Thomas Cup, Southeast Asian Games, and Asian Championships. Sidek is currently serving as the team director of the national junior badminton team.

 13 
Wong Choong Hann
(Malaysian Former Badminton Player)
Wong Choong Hann
4
Birthdate: February 17, 1977
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wong Choong Hann is a Malaysian former badminton player. In 2003, he became the first player from Malaysia to win a medal at the BWF World Championships in the men's singles event when he won the silver medal. During his career, Wong Choong Hann also won medals at the Commonwealth Games, Southeast Asian Games, and Asian Games.

 14 
Hendrawan
(Indonesian Badminton Coach and Former Player)
Hendrawan
0
Birthdate: June 27, 1972
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Malang, East Java, Indonesia
 15 
Ye Zhaoying
(Retired Chinese Badminton Player)
Ye Zhaoying
2
Birthdate: May 7, 1974
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Once world number 1 in women’s singles, Chinese badminton player Ye Zhaoying has won countless medals, including an Olympic bronze and a World Cup gold. She later excelled in golf, too. She and her husband, footballer Hao Haidong, were removed from all Chinese records for criticizing the Communist Party.

 16 
Ardy Wiranata
(Indonesian-Born Canadian Former Badminton Player)
Ardy Wiranata
3
Birthdate: February 10, 1970
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Jakarta, Indonesia
 17 
Hariyanto Arbi
(Former Indonesian Badminton Player)
Hariyanto Arbi
2
Birthdate: January 21, 1972
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kudus, Central Java, Indonesia
 18 
Chen Hong
(Chinese Former Badminton Player)
Chen Hong
3
Birthdate: November 28, 1979
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Changting County, Fujian, China

Retired Chinese badminton player Chen Hong has been an Asian champion and a Sudirman Cup winner. He has also won bronze medals at the World Championship and the Asian Games. A former world number one, he has also scored wins in the Dutch, Denmark, and Singapore Opens.

 19 
Jack Purcell
(Canadian World Champion Badminton Player)
Jack Purcell
4
Birthdate: December 24, 1903
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Died: June 10, 1991
 20 
Camilla Martin
(Retired Danish Badminton Player)
Camilla Martin
2
Birthdate: March 23, 1974
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Aarhus, Denmark
 21 
Morten Frost
(Former Danish Badminton Player and Later Coach)
Morten Frost
2
Birthdate: April 4, 1958
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Nykøbing Sjælland, Denmark
 22 
Rexy Mainaky
(Indonesian Badminton Player)
Rexy Mainaky
3
Birthdate: March 9, 1968
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ternate, Maluku, Indonesia
 23 
Gillian Clark
(English Badminton Commentator and Former Player)
Gillian Clark
4
Birthdate: September 2, 1961
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq
 24 
Rashid Sidek
(Malaysian Former Badminton Player and Coach)
Rashid Sidek
4
Birthdate: July 8, 1968
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Banting, Selangor, Malaysia

Malaysian badminton player and coach Rashid Sidek has had an illustrious playing career, winning 2 Asian Championships, 2 Asian Cups, and 2 Commonwealth Games, among other championships. He has also coached the national badminton team and the para-badminton team, leading Cheah Liek Hou to a Paralympic gold medal win.

 25 
Yang Yang
(Chinese Former Badminton Player)
Yang Yang
3
Birthdate: December 8, 1963
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Yang Yang began his badminton training at 12 and created history when he became one of only four badminton players to earn two World Badminton Championship titles in the men's singles category. Post-retirement, he focused on coaching and also launched a sports equipment brand in Malaysia and a badminton club in China.

 26 
Zhao Jianhua
(Chinese Former Badminton Player)
Zhao Jianhua
2
Birthdate: April 21, 1965
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nantong, Jiangsu, China
 27 
Bang Soo-hyun
(Former South Korean Badminton Player)
Bang Soo-hyun
2
Birthdate: September 13, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
 28 
Roslin Hashim
(Malaysian Former Badminton Player)
Roslin Hashim
6
Birthdate: October 23, 1975
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia

Roslin Hashim is a former Malaysian badminton player who played badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's singles. He was placed just behind the bronze medalist Soni Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia. He was regarded as a controversial figure during his career and once threatened to take the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to court. 

 29 
Syed Modi
(Eight-Time Indian National Badminton Champion Who Was Shot Dead at the Age of 26)
Syed Modi
5
Birthdate: December 31, 1962
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died: July 23, 1988

Indian badminton player Syed Modi was not just an 8-time back-to-back national champion, but had also won a Commonwealth Games gold, along with 3 Asian Games bronze medals and an Asian Championship silver. He was 26 when he was shot dead while coming out of a stadium after practice.

 30 
Eddy Choong
(Badminton player)
Eddy Choong
2
Birthdate: May 29, 1930
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Penang, Malaysia
Died: January 28, 2013
 31 
Nguyễn Tiến Minh
(Badminton player)
Nguyễn Tiến Minh
3
Birthdate: February 12, 1983
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
 32 
Ameeta Singh
(Indian Politician and Former Badminton Champion)
Ameeta Singh
7
Birthdate: October 4, 1962
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

The president of the Delhi Capital Badminton Association, Ameeta Singh is a former national badminton champion player who later stepped into politics. An MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, she represented the INC before joining the BJP. She is also the former wife of murdered badminton ace Syed Modi.

 33 
Craig Reedie
(Sports Administrator)
Craig Reedie
3
Birthdate: May 6, 1941
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Stirling, Scotland
 34 
Gillian Gilks
(English Former Badminton Player)
Gillian Gilks
3
Birthdate: June 20, 1950
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England
 35 
Jung Jae-sung
(South Korean Professional Badminton Player)
Jung Jae-sung
3
Birthdate: August 25, 1982
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea
Died: March 9, 2018
 36 
Halim Haryanto
(Indonesian Former Badminton Player)
Halim Haryanto
2
Birthdate: September 23, 1976
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
 37 
Zhou Mi
(Chinese Badminton Player)
Zhou Mi
2
Birthdate: February 18, 1979
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nanning, Guangxi, China
 38 
Indra Wijaya
(Former Indonesian Badminton Player)
Indra Wijaya
2
Birthdate: March 16, 1974
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia
 39 
Sun Jun
(Chinese Badminton Player)
Sun Jun
2
Birthdate: June 16, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
 40 
Svend Pri
(Danish Badminton Player)
Svend Pri
1
Birthdate: March 18, 1945
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: June 8, 1983
 41 
Candra Wijaya
(Retired Indonesian Badminton Player)
Candra Wijaya
3
Birthdate: September 16, 1975
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia
 42 
Ricky Subagja
(Former Indonesian Badminton Player)
Ricky Subagja
3
Birthdate: January 27, 1971
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
 43 
Ge Fei
(One of the Most Successful Badminton Doubles Specialists in the Sport's History)
Ge Fei
1
Birthdate: October 9, 1975
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Nantong, Jiangsu, China
 44 
Han Aiping
(Chinese Badminton Player)
Han Aiping
1
Birthdate: April 22, 1962
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wuhan, China
Died: October 16, 2019
 45 
Flandy Limpele
(Indonesian Former Badminton Player and Coach)
Flandy Limpele
3
Birthdate: February 9, 1974
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
 46 
Erland Kops
(Danish Badminton Player)
Erland Kops
1
Birthdate: January 14, 1937
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: February 18, 2017
 47 
Dick Sudirman
(Former Indonesian Badminton Player)
Dick Sudirman
2
Birthdate: April 29, 1922
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pematang Siantar City, Indonesia
Died: June 10, 1986
 48 
Lene Køppen
(Danish Badminton Player)
Lene Køppen
1
Birthdate: May 5, 1953
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
 49 
Brice Leverdez
(Badminton player)
Brice Leverdez
3
Birthdate: April 9, 1986
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: La Garenne-Colombes, France
 50 
Razif Sidek
(Malaysian Former Badminton Player)
Razif Sidek
5
Birthdate: May 29, 1962
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Banting, Selangor, Malaysia

Razif Sidek is a Malaysian former badminton player and coach. One of the famous five Sidek brothers, he received his initial training in badminton from his father, Haji Mohd Sidek. He regularly partnered with his younger brother, Jalani, and they became one of the best doubles pairs in the world in the 1980s and early 1990s.