Quick Facts
AquariusBiography
Rajiv Kumar "Raju" Rai (born February 3, 1983) is an American badminton player of Indian descent. He won a bronze medal, along with his partner Mesinee Mangkalakiri, in the mixed doubles at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Rai is also a member of Orange County Badminton Club in Anaheim, California, and is coached and trained by former Olympic doubles champion Tony Gunawan (2000), who is currently playing for the United States.
Rai qualified for the men's singles at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, after he was ranked sixty-eighth in the world, and awarded an entry as one of the top 38 seeded players by the Badminton World Federation. He received a bye for the second preliminary round before losing out to Finland's Ville Lång, with a score of 9–21 and 16–21.
Rai is a former coach of Bellevue Badminton Club, and also, an athlete director for the U.S. national badminton team. He, along with fellow Olympian Bob Malaythong, currently coaches the top junior players in the United States at Synergy Badminton Academy in Menlo Park, California.
Achievements
Pan American Games
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | UASD Pavilion, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Mesinee Mangkalakiri | Philippe Bourret Denyse Julien | 8–15, 7–15 |  |
Pan Am Championships
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Bridgetown, Barbados | Andrew Dabeka | 2–15, 9–15 | |
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Bridgetown, Barbados | Bob Malaythong | Mike Beres William Milroy | 11–15, 15–8, 15–6 |  |
BWF Grand Prix
The BWF Grand Prix has two level such as Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It is a series of badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF) since 2007.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | U.S Open | Halim Haryanto | Howard Bach Bob Malaythong | 14–21, 19–21 |  Runner-up |
- BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
- BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Nigeria International | Alexandre Paixão | 13–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2008 | Giraldilla International | Yuhan Tan | 19–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2007 | Hellas International | Marc Zwiebler | 14–21, 16–21 | Runner-up |
| 2007 | Carebaco International | Brice Leverdez | 12–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 2004 | Carebaco International | Andrew Dabeka | 9–15, 7–15 | Runner-up |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Southern Carolina International | Bob Malaythong | Howard Bach Tony Gunawan | 0–1 Retired | Runner-up |
| 2004 | Carebaco International | Bob Malaythong | Alexandre Tremblay Tom Lucas Picher | 15–5, 15–7 |  Winner |
| 2004 | New Zealand International | Bob Malaythong | Shuichi Nakao Shuichi Sakamoto | 3–15, 15–10, 12–15 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Southern Carolina International | Mesinee Mangkalakiri | Philippe Bourret Denyse Julien | 6–15, 9–15 | Runner-up |
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF International Series tournament
- BWF Future Series tournament