Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo
Sukamuljo at the 2017 All England Open
Personal information
Born	(1995-08-02) 2 August 1995 (age 29) Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia
Residence	Jakarta, Indonesia
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	55 kg (121 lb)
Country	Indonesia
Handedness	Right
Men's doubles
Highest Ranking	1

Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo is a famous badminton player from Indonesia. He was born on August 2, 1995. He became the world's number one men's doubles player with his partner, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon. They won many big tournaments, like the All England Open in 2017 and 2018, and the Asian Games in 2018.

Kevin and Marcus also helped Indonesia win team events like the SEA Games in 2015 and the Thomas Cup in 2020. They were even named the best male players by the Badminton World Federation for two years in a row!

People often call Kevin and Marcus "the Minions." This is because they are not very tall, and they play super fast and jump around a lot, just like the Minions from the Despicable Me movies. A badminton expert, Gillian Clark, said their quick style made the game much more exciting to watch.

Early Life & Badminton Journey

Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo was born on August 2, 1995, in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. His parents are Sugiarto Sukamuljo and Winartin Niawati. Kevin is also the nephew of Alvent Yulianto, who was once a world number one men's doubles player.

Kevin started playing badminton when he was just two and a half years old. He watched his dad play on a court behind their house. His father saw how much Kevin loved badminton and found him a coach in Jember to help him learn more.

When Kevin was eleven, he won a tournament called the Graha Bhakti Cup. His parents encouraged him to join a bigger club. He tried out for a scholarship at a famous club called PB Djarum but didn't get in at first because he was small. But Kevin didn't give up! He started training every day instead of four days a week. Because of his hard work, he finally joined PB Djarum in 2007.

At PB Djarum, Kevin first played singles. But his coaches soon realized he was better at doubles. They tried him in both men's and mixed doubles. Kevin and his parents weren't sure about this at first. However, his coach, Ade Lukas, believed that doubles was where Kevin would shine. After a year of training in doubles, Kevin showed great improvement.

In January 2022, Kevin shared that he was in a relationship with Valencia Tanoesoedibjo. She is the daughter of a famous Indonesian businessman and politician, Hary Tanoesoedibjo. They got engaged in August 2022 at the Jakarta International Stadium and married in Paris, France, on March 23, 2023. Some of Kevin's teammates, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, were there for the wedding.

Kevin's Amazing Career

Junior Years: Learning & Growing

At the PB Djarum club, Kevin was trained by Sigit Budiarto. He won many national tournaments in his age group with different partners. In 2010, he won several circuits and championships. In 2011, he won a gold medal in mixed doubles at the ASEAN School Games in Singapore. He also reached the finals of an international senior tournament before he even turned 16!

In 2012, Kevin won more national tournaments. He also won a bronze medal at the Asian Junior Championships in boys' doubles. By August, he was ranked number one in the BWF World Junior Ranking. In 2013, Kevin joined the national men's doubles team. He won a mixed doubles title at the Tangkas Specs Junior International Challenge. He also helped Indonesia win a silver medal in the mixed team event at the World Junior Championships. He won a silver medal in mixed doubles there too.

2014-2016: Rising to the Top

In 2014, Kevin started playing with a new partner, Selvanus Geh. They won their first tournament together, the Vietnam International Challenge. They also won their first Grand Prix title at the New Zealand Open. Kevin even surprised everyone at the Indonesia Open by beating the world's number one mixed doubles team with his partner Greysia Polii.

In 2015, Kevin teamed up with Marcus Fernaldi Gideon. This happened because Selvanus Geh had to leave the national team due to illness. Their new partnership started strong, reaching the quarterfinals of the All England Open. Kevin also helped his team win a gold medal at the SEA Games and a silver medal in men's doubles.

After the Chinese Taipei Open in July, fans started calling Kevin and Marcus "the Minions." This was because of their height and their super-fast, jumping playing style. A badminton commentator, Gillian Clark, said their quick play made men's doubles games much more exciting. Later that year, they won their first title together at the Chinese Taipei Masters. They finished 2015 ranked 16th in the world.

Kevin and Marcus started 2016 by winning the Malaysia Masters. After some ups and downs, they won their first Superseries title at the India Open. In May, Kevin played for Indonesia in the Thomas Cup, where Indonesia won a silver medal. In June, they won their second Superseries title at the Australian Open. Kevin also won the Indonesian Masters with a temporary partner, Wahyu Nayaka, when Marcus was injured. After Marcus recovered, they won the China Open. By the end of 2016, Kevin and Marcus were ranked number 2 in the world.

2017: Becoming World Number 1

Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon won the 2017 All England Open

In 2017, Kevin and Marcus won the famous All England Open in March. This win made them the number one men's doubles team in the world! They then won the India Open and the Malaysia Open.

In August, they played at the World Championships but lost in the quarterfinals. However, they bounced back to win the Japan Open. In October, they reached the final of the Denmark Open. In November, they won their second China Open title and then the Hong Kong Open. This was their sixth Superseries win of the season, matching a record! Because of their amazing year, Kevin and Marcus were named Best Male Players of the Year by the Badminton World Federation. They ended the year by winning the Dubai World Superseries Finals, becoming the first men's doubles pair to win seven Superseries titles in one year.

2018: Asian Games Gold Medal

In 2018, Kevin and Marcus continued their winning streak. They won the Indonesia Masters, All England Open, and India Open. In July, they won the Indonesia Open.

Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta

Kevin competed at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. He won a silver medal in the men's team event. Then, he and Marcus won the gold medal in men's doubles! They beat their fellow Indonesian teammates, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, in a very close final match.

In September, they won the Japan Open again. In October, they won the Denmark Open. In November, they won the Fuzhou China Open and the Hong Kong Open. After these wins, Kevin and Marcus set a new record: they were the first men's doubles pair to win eight World Tour titles in one season! They were also named the BWF Best Male Players of the Year for the second year in a row.

2019: Another Eight World Tour Titles

Kevin started 2019 by winning his second Malaysia Masters and third Indonesia Masters titles. In April, he and Marcus reached the final of the Asian Championships but lost to a Japanese pair. In July, Kevin successfully defended his title at the Indonesia Open and won the Japan Open for the third time in a row. They beat Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in both finals.

In September, Kevin and Marcus won their third China Open title. In October, they won their second Denmark Open and first French Open titles. In November, they won the Fuzhou China Open. Kevin and Marcus won eight World Tour titles in 2019, including three in a row!

2020-2021: Challenges and Triumphs

Kevin started 2020 by winning his fourth Indonesia Masters title. In February, he helped the Indonesian men's team win the Asia Team Championships. In March, he and Marcus reached the final of the All England Open but lost. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many tournaments were canceled. Kevin also had to withdraw from a tournament in January 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19.

Kevin returned to play at the All England Open in March 2021. In July 2021, Kevin competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He and Marcus reached the quarterfinals but were eliminated. In September-October, Kevin helped the Indonesian team win the 2020 Thomas Cup in Denmark! This was a huge win for Indonesia. Later that year, Kevin and Marcus won the Hylo Open and the Indonesia Open. They reached the final of the BWF World Tour Finals but lost in a close match.

2022-2023: Recent Matches

In 2022, Kevin and Marcus reached the semi-finals of the All England Open. Kevin also played for the Indonesian men's team at the Thomas Cup. Indonesia reached the final but lost to India. Kevin and Marcus returned to play in June, reaching the semi-finals of the Indonesia Masters. After being ranked world number one for 215 weeks, Kevin and Marcus were overtaken by a Japanese pair in September 2022. They finished as runners-up at the Denmark Open in October.

In 2023, Kevin and Marcus played in several tournaments. They reached the quarterfinals of the India Open and the semi-finals of the Thailand Open. Kevin was also part of the Indonesian team for the Sudirman Cup.

Awards and Recognitions

Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo has received many awards for his amazing badminton skills.

Images for kids

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  Sukamuljo at the 2017 All England Open

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  Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon won the 2017 All England Open

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  Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta