Quick Facts
Biography
Rudy Hartono Kurniawan (Chinese: 梁海量; pinyin: Liang Hailiang), born August 18, 1949) is a former Indonesian badminton star who won the men's singles title at the prestigious All-England Championship eight times, seven times consecutively (1968–1974) and at World Championship in 1980 on his only attempt at this title. He is one of the most famous players in the history of the sport and is considered to be one of the greatest badminton players of all time.
Personal life
Hartono was born in Surabaya under the name Nio Hap Liang, is the third child of a family of eight, which also includes his sister Jeanne Utama Dewi, a five-time national champion and former Indonesia Uber Cup team member. The young Hartono embraced many types of sports – athletics, volleyball, football, and even roller skating – but his athletic path soon led him towards badminton. Rudy married Jane Anwar in 1976 and they have two children.
Badminton career
Hartono joined the National Training Center in 1965 in order to help his national team in the upcoming Thomas Cup. As a member of the 1966-1967 Thomas Cup squad, he won all of his matches, but Indonesia was beaten by Malaysia in a highly controversial final in which play was suspended due to the unruly crowd.
A year later, at his first try at the All England Championships, the 18-year-old Indonesian became the youngest ever champion of the tournament, beating Tan Aik Huang from Malaysia who had been the winner two years earlier. From then on, Hartono dominated the event like very few had before, winning eight titles in all, from 1969 to 1976. His eight titles at the All England earned Hartono a mention in the Guinness Book of Records.
Hartono defeated Svend Pri in the finals of the 1972 Munich Games in which badminton was presented as a demonstration sport. Hartono was active in Thomas Cup competition and played for his country at the event from 1967 to 1982. 1970, 1973, 1976, and 1979 Thomas Cup were resounding successes for Hartono and his team, with Indonesia sweeping all four titles.
Post-retirement
Rudy became involved with the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI), holding different positions such as Chairman of Development Affairs until 2006. He is currently a member of PBSI’s Board of Honour. Hartono also played an active role within the Badminton World Federation (BWF). He was a member of the Council in 1985-1986, and later from 1994 to 2009. Hartono’s image and reputation led the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to appoint him as a Goodwill Ambassador for Indonesia.
Achievements
Titles (19)
| Year | Tournament | Opponent in final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | All England |  Tan Aik Huang | 15-12, 15-9 |
| 1969 | All England |  Darmadi | 15-1, 15-3 |
| 1969 | Singapore Open |  | |
| 1969 | US Open | Muljadi | 15-9, 15-12 |
| 1969 | Canadian Open |  Sture Johnsson | 15-11, 15-1 |
| 1970 | All England |  Svend Pri | 15-7, 15-1 |
| 1971 | All England | Muljadi | 15-1, 15-5 |
| 1971 | Canadian Open | | |
| 1971 | Denmark Open |  Ippei Kojima | 14-18, 15-14, 15-11 |
| 1972 | All England | Svend Pri | 15-9, 15-4 |
| 1972 | Olympic Games | Svend Pri | 15-6, 15-1 |
| 1972 | World Invitation | Svend Pri | 15-5, 15-2 |
| 1973 | All England | Christian Hadinata | 15-4, 15-2 |
| 1973 | Denmark Open | Flemming Delfs | |
| 1974 | All England | Punch Gunalan | 8-15, 15-9, 15-10 |
| 1975 | Denmark Open | Svend Pri | 12-15, 15-0, 15-7 |
| 1976 | All England | Liem Swie King | 15-7, 15-7 |
| 1980 | World Championships | Liem Swie King | 15-9, 15-9 |
| 1981 | Japan Open | Lius Pongoh | 15-9, 15-8 |
Runners-up (4)
| Year | Tournament | Opponent in final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | All England | Svend Pri | 11-15, 14-17 |
| 1978 | All England | Liem Swie King | 10-15, 3-15 |
| 1980 | Swedish Open |  Prakash Padukone | 15-9, 12-15, 1-15 |
| 1980 | English Masters | Liem Swie King | 11-15, 3-15 |
Awards
1986 – BWF Herbert Scheele Award
1997 – BWF Hall of Fame