Wong Choong Hann
| Wong Choong Hann | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Country |
 |
| Born |
17 February 1977 Kuala Lumpur |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Years active | 1996 - 2012 |
| Handedness | Left |
| Men's singles | |
| Highest ranking | 1 (15 August 2002) |
Medal record
| |
| BWF profile | |
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Wong Choong Hann AMN (simplified Chinese: 黄综翰; traditional Chinese: 黃綜翰; pinyin: Huáng Zònghàn; born 17 February 1977 in Kuala Lumpur) is a former World No.1 professional badminton player from Malaysia.[1] He is the first Malaysian to win a medal in the men's singles event at the BWF World Championships.
Career
Wong Choong Hann's career began with the 1996 Malaysia Open. The first tournament he won was the 1997 Dutch Open. He represented Malaysia in 2002, where Malaysia emerged runners-up to Indonesia in the Thomas Cup championships.
In 2003, Wong Choong Hann reached the World Championships finals. In a thrilling three-game match between the veterans (both he and his opponent were above 24 years old then), he eventually lost out to the champion from China, Xia Xuanze.
Wong Choong Hann played badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's singles, defeating Przemysław Wacha of Poland in the first round. In the round of 16, Choong Hann was defeated by Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.
The low point of his career occurred during the 2006 Thomas Cup where he injured himself by snapping an Achilles tendon while playing in a quarter final match against South Korea, he was required to rest for almost 6 months. He made a comeback to the sport in the Asian Games later in 2006 but was clearly far from his best form.
In the 2008 summer Olympics he defeated reigning Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat but once again failed to advance past the round of 16, losing to Hsieh Yu-Hsing of Taiwan.
He has set up a company "Pioneer Sdn Bhd" with former shuttlers Lee Wan Wah, Chan Chong Ming, and Chew Choon Eng to conduct badminton programs and hopefully produce world-class shuttlers for Malaysia.
In May 2010, Wong Choong Hann was called back to play for the Malaysian Thomas Cup squad.
In 2011 he played his last world championship, where he lost to Boonsak Ponsana in the second round.
Personal life
Wong Choong Hann married Leaw Pik Sim on 11 June 2005. They have a daughter, named Kyra Wong Xinyue, and a son, named Kayden Wong Zixuan. He currently resides in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur. In September 2012, he co-founded LavieFlo International—the first preserved flower retailer in Malaysia.[2][3]
Achievements
Titles (7)
| Year | Tournament | Opponent in final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Dutch Open |  |
15-10, 15-11 |
| 1998 | Commonwealth Games | |
10-15, 15-12, 15-6 |
| 2002 | Dutch Open | |
15-6, 15-6 |
| 2002 | China Open |  |
12-15, 15-5, 15-9 |
| 2003 | Chinese Taipei Open |  |
3-15, 15-7, 15-4 |
| 2003 | Copenhagen Masters |  |
15-7, 15-10 |
| 2008 | Italian International |  |
21-16, 21-15 |
Runners-up (16)
| Year | Tournament | Opponent in final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Malaysia Open | |
16-17, 15-17 |
| 1999 | Sea Games | |
10-15, 15-11, 11-15 |
| 1999 | Denmark Open | |
15-17, 4-15 |
| 2000 | Chinese Taipei Open | |
9-15, 5-15 |
| 2001 | Singapore Open | |
5-7, 7-0, 1-7, 7-1, 4-7 |
| 2001 | China Open | |
3-7, 7-3, 2-7, 7-5, 4-7 |
| 2003 | China Open | |
16-17, 12-15 |
| 2003 | Sea Games | |
8-15, 5-15 |
| 2003 | World Championships | |
6-15, 15-13, 6-15 |
| 2006 | Commonwealth Games | |
13-21, 12-21 |
| 2007 | New Zealand Open | |
21-13, 18-21, 14-21 |
| 2007 | China Masters | |
19-21, 9-21 |
| 2009 | Macau Open | |
15-21, 19-21 |
| 2009 | Chinese Taipei Open |  |
11-21, 14-21 |
| 2010 | Malaysia Masters | |
8-21, 21-14, 15-21 |
| 2011 | Australia Open |  |
11-21, 21-12, 19-21 |
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
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