Petr Koukal (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpɛtr̩ ˈkoukal]; born 14 December 1985) is a Czech professional badminton player.
| Petr Koukal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal information | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Born | 14 December 1985 Hořovice, Czech Republic |
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb) |
| Men's singles | |
| Highest ranking | 38 (23 Sep 2010) |
| Current ranking | 87 (17 Nov 2016) |
| BWF profile | |
Biography
editKoukal started playing badminton in 1993, at a club owned by his father in Hořovice, and made his debut in the international tournament in 2000.[1] In 2003 he was selected to join the national team, and at the same year, he won the mixed doubles title at the national championships partnered with Markéta Koudelková. Until 2016, he has collected 9 national titles, where 8 of them won in the men's singles event.[1][2] Koukal first competed at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.[3]
In 2010, Koukal was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent a successful therapy.[3][4] He was awarded 2011 Fair Play Award, in Brno, Czech Republic.[1] In July 2012, Czech Olympic Committee announced selection of Koukal for flag bearer of Czech team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, citing him as an example of sport role in recovery from a grave illness and of return to competition at top level.[3][5][6]
In 2016, Petr Koukal was awarded as the secondary recipient of the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award for his commitment and help to men with testicular cancer through his foundation. In May 2016, Czech biathlete Gabriela Soukalová became his spouse;[7] they divorced in late 2020. He made his third appearance at the Summer Olympics through the Tripartite Commission Invitation.[3][8]
Achievements
editBWF Grand Prix
editThe BWF Grand Prix has two levels: Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It is a series of badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) since 2007.
Men's Singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | U.S. Grand Prix |  Hsu Jen-hao
|
19–21, 21–19, 8–21 |  Runner-up
|
- BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
- BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series
editMen's Singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Czech International |  Przemyslaw Wacha
|
19–21, 16–21 | Runner-up
|
| 2011 | Slovak Open | Hubert Paczek
|
21–11, 21–15 |  Winner
|
| 2009 | Czech International |  Dmytro Zavadsky
|
21–17, 21–19 | Winner
|
| 2007 | Iceland International |  Marco Vasconcelos
|
21–17, 21–16 | Winner
|
| 2007 | Turkey International |  Hans-Kristian Vittinghus
|
21–23, 15–21 | Runner-up
|
| 2007 | Le Volant d'Or de Toulouse | Przemyslaw Wacha
|
13–21, 17–21 | Runner-up
|
| 2007 | Hatzor International |  Sho Sasaki
|
15–21, 16–21 | Runner-up
|
| 2006 | Le Volant d'Or de Toulouse |  Ville Lång
|
18–21, 15–21 | Runner-up
|
| 2004 | Lithuanian International | Rafal Hawel
|
15–3, 13–15, 4–15 | Runner-up
|
Mixed Doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Lithuanian International | Martina Benešová
|
Stanislav Kohoutek Akvilė Stapušaitytė
|
15–3, 15–13 | Winner
|
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF International Series tournament
Other
edit- 2006 - Spanish International: Men's singles (quarter final)
- 2006 - Austrian International: Men's singles (quarter final)
- 2006 - Austrian International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
- 2005 - Hungarian International: Men's singles (semi final)
- 2005 - Babolat Slovak International: Men's singles (semi final)
- 2005 - Babolat Slovak International: Mixed doubles (semi final)
- 2003 - Slovenia International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
- 2003 - Slovak International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
- 2003 - Czech International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
- 2003 - Sofiisk Imoti JSC Bulgarian International: Mixed doubles (semi final)
- 2002 - Slovak International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
References
edit- ^ a b c "Players: Petr Koukal". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ "Czech Republic: Cesky Badmintonovy Svaz". Badminton Europe. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Petr Koukal: "When I think back to carrying the flag in London, I still get goosebumps."". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ "Badminton: Petr Koukal overcomes cancer to compete at London 2012". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-26. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ Michal Osoba (2012-07-03). "Odtajněno: českou vlajku v Londýně ponese badmintonista Koukal". Právo (in Czech). Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- ^ "Badmintonista Koukal porazil rakovinu a bude vlajkonošem olympijské výpravy". Czech Olympic Committee (in Czech). 2012-07-03. Archived from the original on 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
- ^ "Sportovní svatba roku: Koukal a Soukalová se tajně vzali" (in Czech). iDNES.cz. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ "Trio Get Rio 2016 Tripartite Places". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
External links
edit
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