Rudy Hartono & Punch Gunalan.

you can contact the events department of BWF for photos which is available. contact person is mr.venugopal - venuvenu@internationalbadminton.org.

 

Arl fellas, Bbn and Loh?

 

Players in Action

The players in action, legends, hall of fame, all pictures are available at BWF office at request and this has been the practice of IBF even while they were operating from Cheltanham. The charge is very nominal and the clarity is very good since it is authentic. So rudy, punch, lin dan, peter gade, . sudirman, thomas, uber, etc etc everything available in their original cast. i enjoy those things.

 

you can also mail to their PR department selvam@internationalbadminton.org from whom also you can get any photo you would desire to. Not faced any problem until now. mr.venugopal is the events manager and selvam takes care of the PR regarding these things is what i have understood recently.

 

Rudy Hartono

Sorry I missed this thread.

Managed to gather some pics and story from Google:

Rudy Hartono Kurniawan (born August 18, 1949) was an Indonesian badminton player who won the world championship in 1980, and the All-England Champions trophy 8 times in the 1960s and 1970s.

Rudy was born in Surabaya, Indonesia. He is a Peranakan Indonesian Chinese.

All England Badminton Championships Results

1968: Won - beat Tan Aik Huang (Malaysia)
1969: Won - beat Darmadi (Indonesia)
1970: Won - beat Svend Pri (Denmark)
1971: Won - beat Muljadi (Indonesia)
1972: Won - beat Svend Pri (Denmark)
1973: Won - beat Christian (Indonesia)
1974: Won - beat Punch Gunalan (Malaysia)
1975: lost to Svend Pri (Denmark)
1976: Won - beat Liem Swie King (Indonesia)
1978: lost to Liem Swie King (Indonesia

 

Rudy Hartono's story in Time Magazine Nov 5. 2006

Rudy Hartono

By Jason Tedjasukmana

Believe it or not, there was a time when mention of Indonesia conjured up images of something other than pollution or terrorism. That time was coterminous with the career of badminton star Rudy Hartono?a dazzling eight-year spell from 1968 to 1976, during which Indonesia would be freely associated with agility and brio, not brown haze and bombs. Granted, badminton does not have the massive followings of soccer or cricket. But to its devoted fans there is no sound sweeter than the swish of a goosefeather shuttlecock. Just ask the Indonesians, who arguably are the most fanatical followers of all.

Before the Chinese-Indonesian Hartono, born Nio Hap Liang, took the badminton world by storm, only one other Indonesian, Tan Joe Hok, had won the coveted All England title?the game's equivalent to Wimbledon. The search was quickly on for another homegrown champion and in Surabaya, the industrial capital of East Java, the young Hartono was being groomed for glory. He trained on concrete at a nearby railway station during the day, and under kerosene lamps at night, under the watchful eye of his father?a player of average ability who channeled frustrated ambitions through his son. "Back then, athletes became successful because of their parents," explains Hartono, now 57 and living in Jakarta, where he works for an oil company. "There was no organization or club, much less sponsorship."

While competing in municipal tournaments, the teenage Hartono caught the eye of national scouts. From that moment on, his rise was the stuff of legend. In 1967, he was part of the Indonesian squad that won the Thomas Cup. The following year, aged 19, he struck out on his own. With the whole country watching back home, Hartono defeated Malaysia's Tan Aik Huang to bring the All England title back to Indonesia. It galvanized the nation. "I remember listening to the match on the radio when I was growing up in Central Java," recalls Clara Joewono, a director at Jakarta's Centre for Strategic and International Studies. "After he won, all the kids in Pekalongan exploded on to the streets with their rackets."

Hartono's playing style, characterized by its ferocious power, earned him another seven All England titles, six of them consecutively. More than that, to a country now riven by religious strife, separatism and economic woes, he was, for eight glorious years, a symbol of unity and pride - badminton's boy king, through whom Indonesia ruled the world.

 

It's too bad..

...his kids never developed any interest in badminton. And yes, i guess i was one of the fortunate ones to meet and know his son for a brief period, Christopher (abt a few yrs my junior), about say 10-12 years ago when he went to school(college/uni) here in the states; and met his younger sister/Rudy's daughter as well. Neither played baddy.
At that time, we were all too busy with playing hoops. I asked him why he didn't pursuit the same sport as his father in which he replied, he was never interested. Least to say, his physique, at that time was built quite well, more as a basketball player. But he does resemble a bit like his dad.
...i wonder where are they now??..

 

I think rudy hartono is a pastor now is it? cos my father knew him through church affairs...or is it him? forgot....

 

Yes I thought I read somewhere that he is very active in church, probably a pastor.

 

Yes..

..you guys surely heard correct. He is an associate pastor at a Bethel church in Jakarta.
Btw, here's an article on his life, taken from Star Online. Good read.

http://www.ytlcommunity.com/commnews/shownews.asp?newsid=13568
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Change of court for Rudy Hartono

Rudy Hartono at his peak.
The Star Online, 24 October 2004

For two decades, Rudy Hartono enjoyed success as the world's best badminton player. But when age caught up, he had a tough time facing up to the fact that he was no longer a winner. RAJES PAUL has the exclusive interview.

BADMINTON great Rudy Hartono flashed a smile when he arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Behind the cheerful demeanour, though, is the story of a superstar whose life nearly fell apart.

After two decades of success and glory as the world’s best badminton player, age and the defeats that came with it were just too much for him to handle.

Rudy Hartono at his peak.

Rudy, however, found there was something beyond success and fame to remain sane in the world, as he related during our 45-minute journey from KLIA to Eastin Hotel, where he later gave an hour’s talk on “More than Conquerors” during the second anniversary dinner of The Star’s Christian Fellowship.

Looking back at his life, Rudy, 55, confessed that it had been a painful experience coming to terms with the fact that he could no longer play competitive badminton after being in the limelight as a champion for two decades.

Born Nio Hap Liang on Aug 18, 1949 in Surabaya, and the third child of eight siblings, Rudy described himself as a “sports-crazy” lad.

While the family was in the tailoring business and in dairy farming, he was into athletics, swimming, volleyball, football and badminton, which was his favourite.

At nine years old, his talent was evident even as he played on the narrow, cobbled road near his house.

By 11, he was training with a small badminton club set up by his father Zulkarnain in a railway station warehouse. The young Rudy trained here almost the entire day.

It all paid off. When he was just 15, Rudy left his hometown Surabaya for Jakarta to join the Thomas Cup centralised training centre.

Just before his 17th birthday, he was a member of the Indonesian team that lost to Malaysia in the Thomas Cup Finals in 1967.

His rise to stardom began after he won the first of his eight All-England titles – beating Malaysian and defending champion Tan Aik Huang. Rudy was only 18.

“As a sportsman, I have always targeted to become a champion – nothing less. As there were no World Championships then, the All-England was considered the pinnacle and my aim and focus were all on that,” reminisced Rudy.

“It was not one or two days of hard work. My first All-England title was a culmination of 10 years of taxing and rigid training. My philosophy was simple: train, train harder, and then train even harder until you win.”

Admitting to being a “man who feared losing”, Rudy said that even during training, he imagined everyone – friends and teammates alike – as his rivals.

“I gave my best in training and the same went for the tournaments.”

But age caught up with Rudy, and suddenly he had to live with losing matches. Unable to cope with the pressure, he wallowed in self-pity and considered himself a big loser in life.

“During my heyday, my main rival was Svend Pri of Denmark. He ended my winning streak in the All-England. The biggest disappointment was at the 1973 Thomas Cup on home ground. Indonesia defeated Denmark 8-1. Unfortunately, the only defeat was mine. I lost to Svend. It was heart-wrenching,” he recalled.

It was in the late 1970s that Rudy really struggled as a player. His last memorable win was over his successor Liem Swie King at the 1980 World Championships final in Jakarta.

“I was surprised to be in the final that year,” he said.

“Swie King was playing very well and I could hardly beat him, even in training. I prayed that I would not be humiliated by Swie King. Fortunately I won my first world title.”

The win was sweet for Rudy even though it was soured by rumours that Swie King had been instructed to lose the match to give Rudy a farewell victory.

A defeat to Luan Jin in the third singles of the 1982 Thomas Cup Finals against China marked the sad end of Rudy's badminton career. China defeated Indonesia 5-4 to end the latter's four consecutive Cup titles win. Rudy was then 33.

“I was hopelessly depressed. There was no peace in my heart. I wanted to be a superstar all the time and had set high expectations on myself. I wanted more and more. I had won eight All-England titles and I could not accept the fact that I was not winning any more,” he recounted.

“My life was miserable and I was making it even harder for my loved ones, too.”

“There was so much of pressure and I just could not cope,” added Rudy, who married his number one fan Jane Anwar.

Such was the pressure, he said, that he decided not to encourage his son Christopher (now 26) and daughter Christine (24) to take up badminton.

“There would be great expectations when you are a child of a big star. It would be agonising if the expectations were not met. I just did not want to lose direction in life.”

It was during this confusing stage in his life that Rudy found solace in religion.

“Thanks to a preacher, I found Jesus Christ and believed that only God could give me inner peace.

“I have seen God’s miracle before. I prayed for his help and he helped me win my first All-England. I called upon him again during the World Championships and he helped me beat Swie King. Then I thought: ‘Wouldn't it be better to have Jesus in my life all the time?’

“Yes, I had depended on myself more to be successful and famous but I found out that that joy does not last long. By depending on God’s strength every day, there is a guarantee of eternal happiness.”

Rudy Hartono during his recent visit to Petaling Jaya where he was the featured speaker at The Star's Christian Fellowship anniversary dinner.

Rudy Hartono during his recent visit to Petaling Jaya where he was the featured speaker at The Star's Christian Fellowship anniversary dinner.
The tragic death of Danish badminton legend Svend Pri, who was both a great friend and rival, prompted Rudy to preach about Jesus to others.

“After I accepted the fact that I could no longer be competitive as a player, I took charge of the Indonesian team as an official. During an international trip, I bumped into Svend in Denmark. I heard that he had tried to commit suicide because of family and financial problems. Some of his problems were similar to mine. I told him that my life had been transformed and that I had found peace.

“We made arrangements for him to come to Indonesia. But I waited and waited and after two months, I found out that he had taken his own life. I was devastated. I know God was the only way to help him. That incident spurred me on to tell as many people as I can about Jesus,” he said.

In the last 15 years, Rudy has been active with his church ministry.

God became even more real to him after he survived a scary open-heart surgery in 1998 in Australia.

“I sought a specialist from Australia after delaying for a year. I told him I had waited for God to heal me. He shrugged off the remark and told me that only he could heal me. When I did not stop bleeding during the operation and was unconscious, the same doctor told my wife to pray. And I miraculously survived the ordeal,” he said.

Rudy has been invited by many churches in Indonesia to give his testimony. Three years ago, he became the associate pastor of the Bethel Church in Jakarta.

Despite his activities in church, badminton is still close to Rudy’s heart.

He is an International Badminton Federation (IBF) vice-president and is also currently the All-Indonesia Badminton Association (PBSI) development chairman.

And where many have not been able to handle the descent from fame – actress Marilyn Monroe, Hong Kong singer Leslie Cheung, novelist Ernest Hemingway, and Svend Pri, to name a few – Rudy has conquered his self-doubts. He now knows where he’s headed, and he is even ready to lead others.

NAME: Rudy Hartono Kurniawan (Nio Hap Liang)
DATE OF BIRTH: Aug 14, 1949
HOMETOWN: Surabaya
FAMILY: Jane Anwar (wife), Christopher (son) and Christine (daughter)
SUCCESS AS AN OFFICIAL: Team manager of the 1984 Thomas Cup team that took back the Cup from China; coached Indonesia's team that won two gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games; team manager of the Indonesian team that won a gold medal at the Athens Olympic Games.
CURRENT POSTS: International Badminton Federation (IBF) vice-president, All-Indonesia Badminton Association (PBSI) development chairman, Bethel Church associate pastor, owner of shoe factory in Jakarta.
ACHIEVEMENTS
ALL-ENGLAND (FINAL)
1968: bt Tan Aik Huang (Mas)
1969: bt Darmadi (Ina)
1970: bt Svend Pri (Den)
1971: bt Muljadi (Ina)
1972: bt Svend Pri (Den)
1973: bt Christian (Ina)
1974: bt Punch Gunalan (Mas)
1975: lost to Svend Pri (Den)
1976: bt Liem Swie King (Ina)
1978: lost to Liem Swie King (Ina)

THOMAS CUP (FINAL)
1966-1967: lost to Malaysia 3-6
1969-1970: bt Malaysia 7-2
1972-1973: bt Denmark 8-1
1975-1976: bt Malaysia 9-0
1978-1979: bt Denmark 9-0
1981-1982: lost to China 4-5.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (FINAL)
1980: bt Liem Swie King (Ina)

Badminton legend welcomes the competition

INDONESIA'S badminton legend Rudy Hartono does not see anyone breaking his record of eight All-England titles – and he feels that’s good for the sport.

Rudy won seven consecutive titles from 1968 to 1974. He won his eighth in 1976.

Currently, though, world badminton is far more competitive and it will be very difficult for anyone to achieve Rudy’s feat.

But he believes it is good for the sport not to have one dominant figure.

“Some sports like motor racing and cycling now are suffering by having one person winning the title all the time. For badminton, it is good that there are few players trying to outdo each other. The sport will remain popular in the respective countries,” he said.

Figures currently dominating in their sports are Michael Schumacher of Germany in Formula One, Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France, and Annika Sorenstam of Sweden in women's golf.

In badminton, the big names in the men's singles are Athens Olympic Games champion Taufik Hidayat, Chinese players Lin Dan and Xia Xuanze, Denmark's Peter Gade-Christensen and Malaysia's Wong Choong Hann.

“I do not see Taufik winning all the time,” said Rudy, the All-Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) development chairman who goes out to the provinces to find new talent for the country.

On the future of the International Badminton Federation (IBF) headquarters in London, Rudy said he would prefer to have the base in Asia.

“This is where the sport is most popular. It is only appropriate for the headquarters to be in Asia,” stressed Rudy, who is also an IBF vice-president.

The IBF will decide on the new venue of the headquarters during an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in December in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia, Singapore and the US are among the candidates.

 

Couple more of Rudy Hartono's pics..