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Taufik Hidayat by Mayeres from

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Taufik Hidayat

A former Indonesian badminton player, Taufik Hidayat was the youngest man to hold the title of world number one in the men’s singles. He is a former World, Olympic, Asian Games, and Asian champion.

The Indonesia Open has six times been won by Hidayat (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006). He was recognised as one of the best badminton players of all time because of his career-high total of 27 international titles won.

Here are interesting facts about him.

1. At age 17 he won the Brunei Open

He won the Brunei Open when he was just 17 years old and advanced to the Asian Championships and Indonesia Open semifinals in 1998. Hidayat won his first Indonesian Open championship in 1999.

In the same year, he also advanced to the finals of the All England and the Singapore Open, where he was defeated by Heryanto Arbi, a senior member of the national team, and Peter Gade, a fierce opponent.

After winning the Malaysia Open, Asian Championships, and Indonesia Open, Hidayat rose to the top of the world rankings in 2000 while still a teenager. He then finished second at the All England Open, where he lost to Chinese player Xia Xuanze.

2. Hidayat’s shot-making strengths were his backhand

Us Open by Murray Foubister from

He may be best known for his backhand smash, which is praised for its extraordinarily high power generation. Hidayat also excelled at making shots with his forehand jump smash, drop shot (especially the reverse slice), silky footwork, and deceptive net play.

The fastest forehand jump smash in singles competition history was made by Hidayat in a match against Ng Wei at the 2006 World Championships, clocking in at 305 km/h (190 mph). He had a very broad arsenal of weapons on the court thanks to the power of both his forehand and backhand, as well as his persistence at the net and ability to make sneaky shots, making him one of the most demanding players to beat on the open circuit.

3. At the Summer Olympic Games in 2004, Hidayat won the men’s singles gold medal

Taufik Hidayat by TSportsasia from

In the first two rounds of the men’s singles competition, Hidayat defeated Malaysian Wong Choong Hann and Japanese Hidetaka Yamada to win the gold medal. In the semifinal, Hidayat beat Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand 15-9, 15-2 after defeating Peter Gade of Denmark 15-12, 15-12 in the quarterfinal. He won the gold medal by defeating the Korean Shon Seung-mo in the final 15-8, 15-7.

4. He married a politician’s daughter

In February 2006, he wed Ami Gumelar, the politician Agum Gumelar’s daughter. Natarina, his daughter, was born in August 2008. The identity of Taufik Hidayat’s mother and father are both being investigated. Information on the family of Taufik Hidayat will continue to be updated.

5. He came from a humble background

Badminton by Ian Patterson from

Strange circumstances surrounded Taufik Hidayat’s opening moves in the game. Taufik Hidayat struggled with the racket and shuttlecock during his formative years. He said that he had played football as a child. Under the advice of his father, he ultimately decided to try badminton.

The young Taufik Hidayat joined a neighbourhood badminton club in Bandung with the help and encouragement of his father. Iie Sumirat, one of Indonesia’s “Magnificent Seven,” noticed him there in the heyday of the sport in the nation.

Iie Sumirat was a tutor to the young Taufik Hidayat and a veteran of countless competitions, including the first BWF World Championship. Taufik Hidayat trained and competed under the direction of Sumirat.

6. He has bagged gold medals in five other Indonesia Opens

Taufik Hidayat by carlinmack from

Hidayat won the Indonesia Open three times after his victory in 2000—in 2002, 2003, and 2004. He faced Chen Hong in the championship match of each of the three events, which he won.

Taufik Hidayat competed in the 2006 Indonesia Open against Bao Chunlai, another Chinese opponent. Once more, Hidayat won the championship match in two straight games with ease.

More than any other player in badminton history, Taufik Hidayat has won the Indonesia Open. Only one other male singles player, Ardy Wiranata, has achieved a feat comparable to this. Wiranata has also won the Indonesia Open six times, matching Hidayat’s record.

7. Taufik Hidayat decided to hang up his racket in 2013

2013 saw Taufik Hidayat decide to put his racket away. An accomplished career that lasted 15 years was to come to an end at the 2013 Indonesia Open.

In the round of 32 of the men’s singles competition at the 2013 Indonesia Open, Taufik Hidayat competed against Sai Praneeth B of India. Hidayat triumphed in the opening match, defeating his opponent 21 to 15. In the second game, Praneeth triumphed by building a nine-point advantage over Hidayat.

8. He was relieved when he retired

In 2013, he declared his retirement.   Taufik Hidayat found comfort in the fact that, despite his severe withdrawal from the sport, he had long since made preparations for it.

In a series of interviews, he also acknowledged that badminton had, for a long time, been his only focus. Taufik Hidayat talked about how pleased he was to have enough time to give his family the attention they deserve.

9. In the 2008 Olympics, Hidayat ranked 17

Shon Seung-mo, a competitor from South Korea, was the only player standing in Hidayat’s path to earning the Olympic gold, but he eventually defeated him to fulfilling his dream.

Hidayat’s performance in the following two Olympics was regrettably not as successful. Hidayat placed seventeenth in the 2008 Olympics. In the Olympics in London four years later, he finished eighth.

Hidayat did really only have one experience with Olympic gold. However, Taufik Hidayat’s Athens gold medal triumph in 2004 outshines his two previous Olympic performances’ medalless streak.

10. Taufik Hidayat established his own badminton training center

Taufik Hidayat by Sports Centre from

Taufik Hidayat opened up a badminton training facility of his own just before retiring. His facility, the Taufik Hidayat Arena, offers badminton lessons to anyone who wants to learn the sport or advance their abilities. The Taufik Hidayat Arena also features a badminton court where players can compete or hone their skills.

Located in Jakarta is the Taufik Hidayat Arena. The Arena is also referred to as “the house of badminton” by individuals who frequent the location.