Badminton is played by individuals(singles) or by a team of two(doubles) badminton players with a racket and shuttlecock, which emanated more than 2000 years ago in Asia and Europe. The history of badminton is very interesting
Firstly badminton came into sight in the Olympic games as a demonstration sport in 1972, then as an exhibition sport in 1988, and transmuted into full medal Olympic sport in the 1992 games.
It is the most in-demand sport in the world after football and is played all across the globe. Over the years, many players have dominated this sport through their talent. So, without further ado, here are whom I consider the top 10 players in the world.
10. Li Lingwei
Li Lingwei is a retired Chinese badminton player. Her services promote women’s inclusion, and good representation in sports is highly appreciated.
She was appointed Vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee in December 2016. A gleaming player whose net play and court coverage are particularly awe-inspiring.
She leads the international women’s badminton in the 1980s, winning 40 open international titles all over the globe.
In 1987 she won a silver medal at the world championship and a bronze one at the 1985 world championship. In 1983 and 1989, Li won the singles crown at the IBF world championships. She retired in 1989 and was introduced into the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998.
9. Han Aiping
Han Aiping was a veteran Chinese badminton player who ranks among the greatest. She is famed for her wonderful overhead strokes.
Han and her rival and often partner in doubles, Li Lingwei, monopolized badminton over the decade. She won four gold medals and two silver medals in world championships and the IBF world championship twice.
During her flourishing career, she also won the Seoul Asian Games title in 1986. Han also acquired Japan Open twice, the Malaysia Open thrice, and Hong Kong Open four times. In mid-1989, she retired.
8. Peter Gade
Peter Gade is a former badminton player from Denmark. He left his mark on history through his All England Open Badminton Championship title in 1999 and the five European championships he attained in the men’s singles event.
Peter was clever and one of the famous mates of this sport. He toped the international ranking from 1998 to 2001, and his playing technique helped change the game for others. In his thriving career, Peter won 22 Grand-Prix titles.
7. Tony Gunawan
Tony Gunawan was a former Indonesian-born Americanbadminton player. He was one of the most significant double players in badminton history.
Tony played with different partners with a brilliant impact and won the 2000 Olympic gold medal, the 2001 IBF world championship, and the 2005 IBF world championship.
After that, he won another world championship for the United States of America. In his fantastic career, Gunawa won a total of 358 international titles. He also won the titles of the US Open, Taipei Open, and SCBA Classic in mixed doubles.
6. Rudy Hartono
Rudy Hartono is a Chinese Indonesian veteran badminton player who won the World Championship in 1980 on his only stab at this title.
He is one of the most popular players in badminton history and is rated as one of the greatest of all time. He gripped the record of winning the men’s singles title at the All-England Championships eight times.
Rudy also won two silver medals and four gold medals in the Thomas Cup and also won the second IBF World Championships in 1980 in Jakarta in a single attempt.
Furthermore, he acquired the men’s singles title at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics. His fame and influence of Rudy helped the United Nations Development Programs(UNDP) to designate him as the Goodwill Ambassador of Indonesia.
5. Carolina Marin
Carolina Maria Marin Martin is a Spanish professional badminton player. So far, Carolina has achieved a lot in her career.
At just 23, she became the first non-Asian woman to win the gold medal in badminton women’s singles in Rio. She is considered one of the greatest female athletes in women’s singles badminton.
She is the first-ever badminton athlete to win the World Champions in women’s singles thrice, winning in 2014,2015 and 2018.
Carolinas was an Olympic Champion at Rio in 2016, three times World Champions, six times European Champions, and ranked top in BWF rankings in women’s single discipline.
4. Taufik Hidayat
Taufik Hidayat is a former Indonesian badminton player who won the Indonesia Open six times.
During his brilliant career, he also won many medals in the Thomas Cup, World Championship, Asian games, and Asian Championships. He had won 27 international titles and was one of the greatest badminton players.
In 2000 Hidayat became the world’s number one player just 19 years after winning the Malaysia Open, Indonesia Open, and Asian Championships.
He was famous for his unique style of play and developed multiple young talents in his arena. He is number four on our list of greatest badminton players.
3. Gao Ling
Gao Ling is a retired badminton player from China noted for her consistency, forecourt prowess, and cute sporting smile.
She is one of the most successful doubles badminton players in history, with four Olympic medals, the most of any other player. In 2000 and 2004, she won gold medals in mixed doubles.
From 2001 to 2006, Geo and her partner Huang Sui won six consecutive All England Championships in women’s doubles.
She had won medals in almost every tournament all across the globe. She won five gold medals in the Uber Cup and three in the Sudirman Cup.
2. Lee Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei is a former badminton player from Malaysia who is the sixth Malaysian to win an Olympic medal.
He is one of the greatest athletes who represented Malaysia at the Olympics, winning a silver medal at the Olympics games thrice.
Lee is the only Malaysian player who has managed to keep the first position on the ranking for more than a year, for 349 weeks, including a 199-weak streak from 21 August 2008 to 14 June 2012.
1. Lin Dan
If you are a regular viewer of modern badminton, then you are well aware of the most excellent name of this game. Yes, Lin Dan is the greatest player of all time.
He is a former professional Chinese player who ruled badminton over the years. He is a six-time All- England Champion, five-time world Champion, and two-time Olympic Champion.
Dan won all nine main titles at 28 and attained the Super Grand Slam. In 2004 he was given the nickname Super Dan after winning the All-England Open final.
Since his nickname was used by the media and his fan’s a tribute to his achievements, he dominated the cord for almost two decades and topped our list of most outstanding players.