Rudy Hartono facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rudy Hartono Kurniawan |
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Hartono in 1980
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Nio Hap Liang 梁海量 |
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| Born | 18 August 1949 Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia |
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| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 12 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Indonesia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles Men's doubles Mixed doubles |
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Medal record
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Rudy Hartono Kurniawan, born Nio Hap Liang on August 18, 1949, is a famous former badminton player from Indonesia. He holds the amazing record for winning the men's singles title at the All-England Championship eight times. Seven of these wins were in a row, from 1968 to 1974. He also won the World Championship in 1980, which was the only time he tried for that title. Many people think he is one of the greatest badminton players ever.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Rudy Hartono was born in Surabaya, Indonesia. His father was Zulkarnain Kurniawan. Rudy was the third of eight children in his family. His sister, Utami Dewi, was also a great badminton player. She won the national championship five times.
When he was young, Rudy loved many sports. He tried running, swimming, volleyball, football, and roller skating. But he soon found his true passion in badminton.
At age 11, Rudy started learning badminton formally from his father. He trained almost all day in a small club his father made. It was in a railway station warehouse. In 1961, when he was 12, he won his first tournament. This was the junior championship in Surabaya. After leaving his father's club, Rudy played for the bigger Rajawali Club. Many top Indonesian players trained there. By age 15, he won the national junior championship. National scouts noticed his talent. In late 1965, he joined the National Training Center. He helped the national team get ready for the upcoming Thomas Cup.
Rudy Hartono's Badminton Career
Rudy Hartono joined the 1967 Thomas Cup team. He won all his matches. But Indonesia lost to Malaysia in a very debated final. The game stopped because the crowd was too noisy. Both teams could have played again in New Zealand. But Indonesia said no, so Malaysia won the cup.
A year later, at just 18, Rudy played in the All England Championships for the first time. He became the youngest champion ever. He beat Tan Aik Huang from Malaysia. Tan had won the title two years before. After that, Rudy was almost unbeatable in this event. He won seven titles in a row from 1968 to 1974.
In 1975, Rudy wanted to win his eighth title in a row. This would break Erland Kops’s record of seven wins. He played his rival, Svend Pri, again. Rudy had beaten Pri in 1970 and 1972. But this time, Pri won 11–15, 14–17. However, Rudy came back the next year. He won his eighth title against his teammate Liem Swie King. This made him the most successful men’s singles player in the tournament's history. His eight All England titles also got him a mention in the Guinness Book of Records.
In 1978, Rudy tried for a ninth title. But he lost to Liem Swie King in the final. He tried again in 1981. He lost in the semi-finals to Prakash Padukone.
Besides his All England wins, Rudy won many other international titles. In 1969, he won the Canadian and US Open titles. He also won the Singapore Open men's singles and doubles titles that year. In 1971, he won his second Canadian Open title. He also won his first Denmark Open title. That year, he won three titles at the Western Indian Championship. He won men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles. He won the Denmark Open again in 1973 and 1975. In 1981, he won his first Japan Open title.
Rudy also did well in major games. At the 1970 Asian Games, he won gold with the men's team. He also won two bronze medals in men's doubles and mixed doubles. In 1971, he won another gold at the Asian Championships. Indonesia beat Malaysia in the men's team final. In the 1972 Munich Games, badminton was a demonstration sport. Rudy won the men’s singles event there. He beat Jamie Paulson, Sture Johnsson, and Svend Pri.
In 1980, Rudy played in the World Championships in Jakarta. He wanted to win an official world title. He reached the final and met Liem Swie King. Rudy won the final easily, 15–9, 15–9.
Rudy played in the Thomas Cup from 1967 to 1982. He helped Indonesia win four straight Thomas Cup titles in 1970, 1973, 1976, and 1979. At the 1982 Thomas Cup Finals, Rudy played for his country again. But he was older and not as strong. China won their first Thomas Cup title that year. Rudy lost to Luan Jin. This was only his second loss in the Thomas Cup. After the competition, Rudy announced he was retiring. He said he had to retire, but played because his country needed him.
After Retirement
After he stopped playing, Rudy Hartono worked with the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI). He was Chairman of Development Affairs until 2006. Now, he is a member of PBSI’s Board of Honour. Rudy also worked with the Badminton World Federation (BWF). He was a member of their Council from 1985-1986, and again from 1994 to 2009. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) chose him as a Goodwill Ambassador for Indonesia.
Rudy also started his own businesses. He studied economics at Trisakti University. He started a dairy business in Sukabumi. He also sold sports equipment for brands like Mikasa, Ascot, and Yonex. Later, his company, PT Havilah Citra Footwear, imported sportswear.
Personal Life
Rudy Hartono married Jane Anwar in 1976. They have two children, a son named Christopher and a daughter named Christine.
Rudy also loved movies. He even starred in an Indonesian movie in 1971. It was called "Matinja Seorang Bidadari" (Death of An Angel).
There is a wax statue of Rudy Hartono at the Madame Tussauds museum in Singapore.
Honours and Awards
- 1969 and 1974 – SIWO/PWI best athlete
- 1985 – IBF Distinguished Service Award
- 1986 – IBF Herbert Scheele Trophy
- 1987 – Honorary Diploma from the International Committee For Fair Play (CIFP)
- 1988 – Fair Play Award from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
- 1997 – IBF Hall of Fame
- 2000 – Republic of Indonesia's Honorary Sign for Bintang Mahaputera Utama
- 2006 – Asian Heroes, TIME Magazine
Images for kids
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Gold medal
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Gold medal
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Bronze medal
See also
In Spanish: Rudy Hartono para niños
