Top 7 badminton players of all time

Badminton has a bigger following in the UK than many may realise. It may not rival the dedication that China and Indonesia have for the sport, but there are still thousands of Brits who love nothing more than watching the excitement of a shuttlecock flying around the court.

1. Top 7 Badminton
Players of All Time
Badminton has a bigger following in the UK than many
may realise. It may not rival the dedication that China
and Indonesia have for the sport, but there are still
thousands of Brits who love nothing more than watching
the excitement of a shuttlecock flying around the court.
Badminton is a game of speed, agility, accurate foot
work and killer attacks.
In honour of the National Badminton League this June,
we’ve taken a look at our top seven badminton players
of all time. These are players you can truly aspire to as
you stand there in your new custom badminton
teamwear.

2. Lin Dan
This Chinese athlete is legendary in the world of
badminton and is regarded as the greatest singles player
of all time by badminton enthusiasts across the world.
He is the first and only player to complete the “Super
Grand Slam” by the age of 28, including all nine major
titles in international badminton.
Lin Dan is famous for his aggressive nature on court and
despite having won all of the major titles, he is still entirely
focused on winning. He is also the only player in the
history of the sport to win the Olympic gold medal twice
consecutively. His achievements in badminton are
certainly impressive and it seems his reign as the
badminton king is only set to continue.

3. Lee Chong Wei
This Malaysian player is the only person who has held the
number one ranking for more than a year. He received a
number one ranking in 2009 and continued to stay there
for an impressive 199 consecutive weeks. Lee Chong Wei
has been admired for his calmness on court and his
ability to fight player peer pressure. With incredible
humility off-court, this player is admired by many. With a
list of achievements long enough to rival even Lin Dan,
Lee Chong Wei was named Olympian of the year twice
in 2008 and 2012. He’s even a bestselling author in Asia,
with his autobiography “Dare to Be a Winner”.

4. Rudy Hartono
Former Indonesian player, Rudy Hartono, is considered
one of the finest badminton players that the world has
ever seen. Dominating badminton from the late sixties to
the early seventies, Hartono won the prestigious
All-England Championship’s men’s singles events eight
times, including a record seven consecutive wins from
1968 to 1974. He achieved four gold medals and two
silver medals at the Thomas Cup and won the men’s
singles title in 1972 at the Munich Summer Olympics, the
first year that badminton was included as part of the
Olympic programme. His legacy in the badminton world
lives on and he is considered to be one of the best
sportsmen that the world has seen.

5. Taufik Hidayat
The now retired Indonesian player, Taufik Hidayat, won
the Indonesian Open a record six times over the span of
his career. In total, Hidayat achieved 27 titles and was
positioned runner-up 19 times. Though he’s especially
famous for his rivalry against Lin Dan, he holds the record
of fastest smash recorded in a singles competition.
His 305 kph (189.5 mph) smash in a match against Ng Wei
in 2006 received international acclaim and is yet to be
beaten. The overwhelming power in both his backhand
and forehand made him one of the most difficult players
to face on open court.

6. Morten Frost Hansen
This Danish player was also known as ‘Mr. Badminton’
during his 12 year stint in the top 3 world rankings. In
England, Hansen dominated all of the Open Badminton
Championships. He is especially noted for his smooth and
fluid footwork. Remaining undefeated for months at a
time, he won almost every international top level
championship except the World Badminton
Championships. He was defeated in the last world
championship of his career, leading to the unfortunate
headlines reading:
‘The World’s Greatest Player May Never Be World
Champion’.

7. Li Lingwei
The now retired Li Lingwei was a dominant force in
female badminton in the 1980s. She has been considered
by many as one of the greatest players in the history of
women’s badminton. She is particularly noted due to her
court coverage and net play. Winning two gold medals
in the women’s singles even and one in the women’s
doubles event at the World Championship, Lingwei and
her partner Han dominated badminton in the 1980s.
Lingwei is now an elected member of the International
Olympic Committee and has been inducted in the
Badminton Hall of Fame.

8. Peter Høeg Gade
Another Danish player that broke records was Peter Høeg
Gade. Gade was the number one seed from 1998-2001.
He was a favourite amongst fans due to his fast attacks,
smooth footwork and his trademark shot, the ‘Double
Action’.
With an incredible ability to handle on-court pressure,
Gade won the European Championships titles five times
and also won three gold medals in the European Team
Championships. He retired from a professional badminton
career in 2012, achieving bronze medals in the Wuhan
Thomas and Uber Cup.

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