History of Badminton in the Olympics
The People’s Republic of China have long enjoyed a deep pool of badminton talent to draw from. The country has won a total of 18 gold medals — the most by any nation. At London 2012, People’s Republic of China won all five titles.
China, Indonesia, Korea and Japan are the strongest teams in the paired events. The period after Rio 2016 saw the retirement of many senior players, so Tokyo 2020 will see many young pairs in action.
Meet some of the female coaches with players at the Tokyo Olympic Games…
Chin Eei Hui (Malaysia)
Chin Eei Hui is a former badminton player from Malaysia who plays in both women’s and mixed doubles.
Currently, she works as a coach for Malaysia’s national women’s doubles players. Chin Eei Hui and her former women’s doubles partner, Wong Pei Tty have ranked as high as No. 1 worldwide. Together, Chin and Wong achieved much success by winning Superseries and Superseries Finals titles. They also clinched gold and bronze medals in 2010 and 2002 Commonwealth Games. Although not a regular mixed doubles player, Chin won a gold and a silver medal with different partners in 2002 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. Chin competed in badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in women’s doubles with partner Wong Pei Tty. They defeated Seiko Yamada and Shizuka Yamamoto of Japan in the first round but subsequently lost to Gao Ling and Huang Sui of China in the round of 16. Although not well known as a mixed doubles player, Chin created a first for Malaysia when she won the 2010 Commonwealth Games mixed doubles title, playing with Koo Kien Keat. She had also won a silver in the same event 8 years previously.
At Tokyo, she is the National Coach for women’s doubles players.
Gil Young-ah (South Korea)
Gil Young-ah is a former female badminton player from South Korea.
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, she won the bronze medal in the women’s doubles together with Shim Eun-jung.
Four years later, at the Atlanta Olympics, she won the gold medal in the mixed doubles together with Kim Dong-moon and the silver medal in the women’s doubles together with Jang Hye-ock.
Gil retired from badminton after the 1996 Olympics and became an assistant coach of the Samsung Electro-Mechanics badminton team. In 2011, Gil became the first woman to be appointed head coach of a professional team in Korea. She was made Head Coach of the Samsung Electromechanics Women’s Badminton Team. When Kim Moon-soo vacated his post as head of the men’s team in late 2015, Gil was made Head Coach of the combined team.
Gil has two children who are active elite badminton players. Her son Kim Won-ho is on the national team and her daughter Kim Ah-young plays for an elite high school team in
