Kurniawan, Rudy Hartono (1949-…), an Indonesian badminton player, was one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. His international success made him a national hero in Indonesia . He was famous for the power and accuracy of his game and his speed and agility.
Kurniawan won the men’s singles title at the prestigious All-England Championships eight times, seven times consecutively, from 1968 to 1974. He also played on six consecutive Indonesian national teams that competed for the Thomas Cup, the men’s international championship competition. He first played for the national team in 1967, when he was 17 years old. He helped his team win four consecutive world team championships in 1970, 1973, 1976, and 1979. Badminton was a demonstration sport at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games . Kurniawan won the men’s singles event. In 1980, he won the only world championship men’s singles tournament he entered.
After retiring as a player, Kurniawan held a variety of positions in the Indonesian Badminton Association. He served as a member of the International Badminton Federation (now the Badminton World Federation) Council from 1985 to 1986 and from 1994 to 2009.
Kurniawan was born on Aug. 18, 1949, in Surabaya, in East Java. His family was of Chinese descent, and his birth name was Nio Hap Liang. Kurniawan was elected into the International Badminton Federation Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1998, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) honored him for his distinguished service to physical education and sport.
