Badminton, a racquet sport, is considered the second most popular sport after Football. Over 220 million people play Badminton each year. Indonesia is one of those countries where Badminton is part of the national identity. Since the start of Badminton in the Olympics in 1992, Indonesia has won all the gold medals in Badminton except in 2012.
Such talents are necessary to dominate the stage of the Olympics for decades. In this article, we will introduce you to some of the best Indonesian Badminton players of all time.
1. Rudy Hartono
| Birth Name | Nio Hap Liang |
| Born | 18 August 1949 (Age 73) |
| Birth Place | Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Men’s Singles, Doubles, and Team |
Rudy Hartono Kurniawan is a former badminton player. He holds the record of winning the men’s singles title at the All-England Championships eight times, seven times consecutively. With just one attempt, this talented player won World Championship in 1980. He is considered one of the best Indonesian badminton players of all time. Let’s have a look at his badminton career.
Hartono won all the matches he played at the 1967 Thomas Cup as a squad member. But unfortunately, their team couldn’t win the cup. Next year he participated in the All England Championships for the first time. In the final, he defeated the defending champion, Tan Aik Huang. Later then, he dominated the championship for the next seven years. In 1976, he wrote his name in the Guinness Book of World Records by winning the All-England Championships for the eighth time. Hartono won many international titles throughout his career, thereby making his career remarkable. This great player played his last match in 1984.
Noteworthy Achievements
World Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1980 | Jakarta | Men’s singles | Gold |
Olympic Games
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1972 | West Germany | Men’s Singles | Gold |
International Open Tournaments
Titles: 25
Runners-Up: 8
Asian Games:
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1970 | Bangkok, Thailand | Men’s Team | Gold |
| 1970 | Bangkok, Thailand | Men’s Doubles | Bronze |
| 1970 | Bangkok, Thailand | Mixed Doubles | Bronze |
2. Taufik Hidayat
| Birth Name | Taufik Hidayat |
| Born | 10 August 1981 (Age 41) |
| Birth Place | Bandung, West Java, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Men’s Singles, Team, and Mixed Team |
| Career Record | 413 Wins, 138 Losses |
Taufik Hidayat, the youngest world number one in the men’s single, has won the Indonesian Open six times. When he was just 17, he won the Brunei Open and made his position in the 1998 Asian Championships & Indonesian Open semifinal. Hidayat won his first Indonesian Open title in 1999. He also reached the final of the All-England and the Singapore Open that year.
Hidayat became the world’s number one when he won the Malaysia Open, Asian Championships, Indonesia Open, and second position at All-England Championships. He was just 19, then. Hidayat participated four times at the Olympics and won one time in 2004. In 2005, he won the men’s singles title at the World Championships. In the final, he defeated the world number one, Lin Dan.
Noteworthy Achievements
Olympics:
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2004 | Athens | Men’s singles | Gold |
World Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2005 | Anaheim | Men’s Singles | Gold |
| 2010 | Paris | Men’s Singles | Silver |
Asian Games
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1998 | Bangkok | Men’s Team | Gold |
| 2002 | Busan | Men’s Singles | Gold |
| 2002 | Busan | Men’s Team | Silver |
| 2006 | Doha | Men’s Singles | Gold |
Asia Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2000 | Jakarta | Men’s Singles | Gold |
| 2004 | Kuala Lumpur | Men’s Singles | Gold |
| 2007 | Johor Bahru | Men’s Singles | Gold |
3. Susi Susanti
| Full Name | Lucia Francisca Susanti Haditono |
| Birth Name | Ong Lien Hiang |
| Born | 11 February 1971 (Age 51) |
| Birth Place | Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Women’s Singles, Team, and Mixed Team |
Susi Susanti is one of the best Indonesian badminton players of all time. She is the first Indonesian Olympic gold medalist. Susanti’s playing style was different from most other female players, slow-paced & long. She used to stretch her legs wide to take low shots. Her leg stretching later became a signature pose.
Susanti retired from the sport in 1997 after marrying Alan Budikusuma, a men’s badminton gold medalist of the 1992 Olympics. Now they have three children, one daughter & two sons. A biopic based on Susanti’s life was released in 2019.
Susanti participated in Olympics just two times, where she won one gold medal. She is the only woman to win the Olympics, World Championships & All-England Open together.
Noteworthy Achievements
Olympic Games
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1992 | Barcelona | Women’s Singles | Gold |
World Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1993 | Birmingham | Women’s Singles | Gold |
IBF World Grand Prix
Titles: 38
Runners-up: 11
World Cup:
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1989 | Guangzhou, China | Women’s Singles | Gold |
| 1993 | New Delhi, India | Women’s Singles | Gold |
| 1994 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Women’s Singles | Gold |
| 1996 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Women’s Singles | Gold |
| 1997 | Yogyakarta, Indonesia | Women’s Singles | Gold |
4. Greysia Polii
| Birth Name | Greysia Polii |
| Born | 11 August 1987 (Age 35) |
| Birth Place | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Women’s and the Mixed Doubles Team |
| Career Record | WD: 449 Wins, 230 Losses XD: 58 wins, 37 Losses |
Greysia Polii, a woman badminton player to reach world ranking no.2 three times, is the gold medalist of the 2020 Olympics. Polii started playing badminton at the age of six. Her sister, who was also a national badminton player, influenced her. Later she joined the Jaya Raya Jakarta club and developed her skills. When she was in the Jaya Raya club, she drew her coach’s attention with her talent as a doubles player. That’s the time when she switched from singles to doubles.
Polii’s achievements started to increase from zero when she paired with Jo Novita. Together they won a Grand Prix title, two silver medals at the Southeast Asian Games in 2005 and 2007, and a bronze in the 2005 Asian Championships. Her achievements made her one of the best Indonesian badminton players of all time.
Noteworthy Achievements
Olympic Games:
| Year | Venue | Even | Result |
| 2020 | Tokyo, Japan | Women’s Doubles | Gold |
Asian Games
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2014 | Incheon, South Korea | Women’s Doubles | Gold |
Southeast Asian Games
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2019 | Metro Manila, Philippines | Women’s Doubles | Gold |
BWF Grand Prix
Titles: 05
Runners-up: 06
BWF World Tour
Titles: 06
Runners-up: 03
BWF Superseries
Titles: 03
Runners-up: 06
5. Tony Gunawan
| Birth Name | Wu Junming |
| Born | 9 April 1975 (Age 47) |
| Birth Place | Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Handedness | Left |
| Event | Men’s Double, Men’s Team, and Mixed Team |
Tony Gunawan, the 2000 Sydney Olympics champion, is one of the best Indonesian badminton players of all time. Tony started to achieve as an Indonesian badminton player. Later he served for the USA badminton team. Surprisingly he won the world cup for both Indonesia and USA teams.
Tony Gunawan retired from the sport in 2018. He currently coaches at San Gabriel Badminton Club 2 (Pomona). In his personal life, he married an Indonesian women’s doubles player Etty Tantri. Now they have two sons.
Noteworthy Achievements
Olympic Games:
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2000 | Sydney, Australia | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
IBF World Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2001 | Seville, Spain | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
| 2005 | Anaheim, United States | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
World Badminton Grand Prix Finals
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1999 | Brunei | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
| 2000 | Brunei | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
Asian Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2000 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
IBF World Grand Prix
Event: Men’s Doubles
Titles: 36
6. Hendra Setiawan
| Birth Name | Hendra Setiawan |
| Born | Hendra Setiawan |
| Birth Place | Pemalang, Central Java, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Men’s Doubles, Team, and Mixed Team |
| Career Record | 602 Wins, 222 Losses |
Hendra Setiawan is one of the best Indonesian badminton players of all time. Setiawan is an Olympic gold medalist, four-time world champion, two-time All-England champion, and two-time Asian games gold medalist. He has achieved all significant achievements in badminton.
Setiawan became the world’s number 1 two-times with two different partners. Badminton drew his attention when he saw his father playing the sport. He started playing badminton at the age of seven. He married Sandiani Arief in 2011. They now have three children. Setiawan also owns a personal YouTube channel where he uploads vlogs.
Noteworthy Achievements
Olympic Games:
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2008 | Beijing, China | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
BWF World Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2007 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
| 2013 | Guangzhou, China | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
| 2015 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
| 2019 | Basel, Switzerland | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
World Cup
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2006 | Yiyang, China | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
Asian Games
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2010 | Guangzhou, China | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
| 2014 | Incheon, South Korea | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
7. Alan Budikusuma
| Birth Name | Goei Djien Phang |
| Born | 29 March 1968 (Age 54) |
| Birth Place | Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Men’s Singles, Team |
Alexander Alan Budikusuma Wiratama is one of the best Indonesian badminton players of all time. He ruled over the sport from the late 1880s to the mid-1990s. He is the gold medalist of the 1992 Olympics. He & his fiance’s gold medal victory in the 1992 Olympics was historical for Indonesia because that was the first victory for Indonesia in their 50 years of Olympic journey. If you read this article from the beginning, you know who Alan’s fiance is.
Alan retired in 1996 with a motive to help the Indonesian national team grow.
Noteworthy Achievements
Olympic Games:
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1992 | Barcelona, Spain | Men’s Singles | Gold |
World Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1992 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Men’s Singles | Silver |
World Cup
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1993 | New Delhi, India | Men’s Singles | Gold |
| 1995 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Men’s Singles | Silver |
IBF World Grand Prix
Titles: 08
Runners-up: 11
8. Hendrawan
| Birth Name | Ye Chengwan |
| Born | 27 June 1972 (age 50) |
| Birth Place | Malang, East Java, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Men’s Singles |
Hendrawan is a former Indonesian badminton player. He currently coaches the Malaysian badminton team. In 2001 he married Silvia Anggraini, a former player. 2 years later, he retired. After retiring in 2003, he coached the Indonesian men’s and women’s singles teams. Hendrawan & Silvia now have two children.
Hendrawan started playing badminton at the age of 10. He started playing internationally in the 1990s. He is one of the best Indonesian badminton players of all time, a remarkable performer for Indonesia in the Thomas Cup.
Noteworthy Achievements
Olympic Games:
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2000 | Sydney, Australia | Men’s Singles | Silver |
IBF World Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2001 | Seville, Spain | Men’s Singles | Gold |
Thomas Cup
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1998 | Hong Kong | Men’s Team | Gold |
| 2000 | Kuala Lumpur | Men’s Team | Gold |
| 2002 | Guangzhou | Men’s Team | Gold |
Asian Games
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1998 | Bangkok, Thailand | Men’s Team | Gold |
| 1998 | Bangkok, Thailand | Men’s singles | Silver |
IBF World Grand Prix
Titles: 5
Runners-up: 3
9. Markis Kido
| Birth Name | Markis Kido |
| Born | 11 August 1984 |
| Died | 14 June 2021 (Aged 36) |
| Birth Place | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Men’s Doubles, Team and Mixed Doubles, Team |
Markis Kido is one of the best Indonesian badminton players of all time. He is the gold medalist of the 2008 Olympics. His highest ranking is 1, which he claimed with his partner Hendra Setiawan. Together they won the Olympics, the Asian Badminton Championships, and the Indonesia Open. Most of Kido’s greatest achievements came with Setiawan. Together they played outstanding.
Kido could’ve achieved more, but life goes on its way. This great player died of a heart attack. Incredibly, he was playing a friendly badminton match at the time of his heart attack.
Noteworthy Achievements
Olympic Games:
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2008 | Beijing, China | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
BWF World Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2007 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Men’s doubles | Gold |
World Cup
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2006 | Yiyang, China | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
Asian Games
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2010 | Guangzhou, China | Men’s Doubles | Gold |
10. Mia Audina
| Birth Name | Mia Audina Tjiptawan |
| Born | 22 August 1979 (Age 43) |
| Birth Place | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Women’s Singles, Doubles, Team |
Mia Audina Tjiptawan is a former Indonesian badminton player. She represented both Indonesia & Netherlands in the world-class competition. She was the world’s number 1 singles player in 1996. Before moving to the Netherlands, she helped Indonesia to win Uber Cup.
Audina’s most remarkable achievements include the open singles titles of the USA (1996), Singapore (1997), Japan (1997, 2004), Indonesia (1998), Korea (2003), the Netherlands (2001, 2002), Switzerland (2002), and Taiwan (2000, 2003). She retired in 2006.
Noteworthy Achievements
Olympic Games:
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 1996 | Atlanta, United States | Women’s Singles | Silver |
| 2004 | Athens, Greece | Women’s Singles | Silver |
European Championships
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2002 | Malmö, Sweden | Women’s Singles | Silver |
| 2004 | Geneva, Switzerland | Women’s Singles | Gold |
| 2004 | Geneva, Switzerland | Women’s Doubles | Gold |
| 2006 | Den Bosch, Netherlands | Women’s Singles | Silver |
Southeast Asian Games
| Year | Venue | Event | Result |
| 2002 | Malmö, Sweden | Women’s Singles | Gold |
IBF World Grand Prix
| Event | Titles | Runners-up |
| Women’s Singles | 11 | 8 |
| Women’s Doubles | 2 | 1 |
Conclusion
When Indonesia was eager to test the Olympic gold medal, they had no such players who could compete and win. At that time, when the Olympics added badminton, Indonesia came to know about some great badminton players. They won two gold medals in the 1992 Olympics badminton. After that win, they didn’t have to wait much for gold medals. History now knows some of the best Indonesian badminton players of all time.
