Tony Gunawan
Tony Gunawan (Chinese: 吳俊明; pinyin: Wu Junming; born April 9, 1975) is an Indonesian-born American former badminton player. He gained several international achievements for Indonesia and later for the United States, including an Olympic gold medal and world champion title.
Career
Gunawan is a former Olympic gold medalist and world champion for Indonesia, and later a world champion for the United States. He is regarded by many, including his peers, as one of the greatest doubles players in badminton history.[1] A superb all-court player with a particular facility in the forecourt, he won the 2000 Olympic gold medal, the 2001 IBF World Championships, and 2005 IBF World Championships with 3 different men's doubles partners.
He won the men's doubles gold medal in the 2005 World Championships from the 13th seeded position with his American partner Howard Bach. Gunawan partnered with Halim Haryanto to win the 2001 World Championships as well as the 2001 All-England Open, and with Candra Wijaya to win the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He was a member of the world champion 2000 Indonesia Thomas Cup team, winning his match in the final against China with yet another partner, Rexy Mainaky.
Gunawan and Bach won the 2005 IBF World Championships Men's Doubles gold over Gunawan's ex-partner Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto who were also finalists in the 2003 IBF World Championships in the same event. Tony played for Indonesia from 1992 to 2001 and won numerous international titles. He has coached and played for USA since 2001. Tony is currently studying in Orange County, California and coaches at Global Badminton Academy.
Personal life
He married Indonesian women's doubles player, Etty Tantri on July 29, 2002 at the Monte Carlo Chapel in Las Vegas. They have two sons, Christopher and Leon.
Awards
| Award | Year | Category | Result | Ref. | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Olympic Committee Award | 2005 | US Olympic Committee Team of The Year | Won | [2] | 
Achievements
Olympic Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Dome, Sydney, Australia |  Candra Wijaya |  Lee Dong-soo  Yoo Yong-sung | 15–10, 9–15, 15–7 |  Gold | [3][4] | 
World Championships
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Palacio de Deportes de San Pablo, Seville, Spain |  Halim Haryanto |  Ha Tae-kwon  Kim Dong-moon | 15–0, 15–13 |  Gold | [5] | 
| 2005 | Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, United States |  Howard Bach |  Sigit Budiarto  Candra Wijaya | 15–11, 10–15, 15–11 |  Gold | [6] | 
World Cup
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Olympic Park, Yiyang, China |  Howard Bach |  Sigit Budiarto  Candra Wijaya | 18–21, 9–21 |  Bronze | [7] | 
World Masters Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Age | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 35+ | Auckland Badminton Centre, Auckland, New Zealand |  Tri Kusharjanto |  Jan Fröhlich  Carsten Loesch | 21–11, 21–17 |  Gold | [8] | 
| 2017 | 40+ | Auckland Badminton Centre, Auckland, New Zealand |  Effendy Widjaja |  Tri Kusharjanto  Hariyanto Arbi | 20–22, 14–21 |  Silver | [9] | 
World Senior Championships
Men's doubles
| Year | Age | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 35+ | Helsingborg Arena, Helsingborg, Sweden |  Flandy Limpele |  Naruenart Chuaymak  Apichai Thiraratsakul | 21–13, 21–9 |  Gold | [10] | 
| 2023 | 45+ | Hwasan Indoor Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea |  Tri Kusharjanto |  Naruenart Chuaymak  Thaweesak Koetsriphan | 21–14, 21–13 |  Gold | [11] | 
Pan American Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Multipurpose Gymnasium, Guadalajara, Mexico |  Howard Bach |  Halim Haryanto  Sattawat Pongnairat | 21–10, 21–14 |  Gold | [12][13] | 
Asian Championships
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia |  Rexy Mainaky |  Choong Tan Fook  Lee Wan Wah | 15–8, 15–9 |  Gold | 
| 2001 | PhilSports Arena, Manila, Philippines |  Candra Wijaya |  Tri Kusharjanto  Bambang Suprianto | 15–8, 13–15, 13–15 |  Silver | 
Asian Cup
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Olympic Gymnasium No. 2, Seoul, South Korea |  Rudy Wijaya |  Kim Dong-moon  Yoo Yong-sung | 10–15, 8–15 |  Silver | [14][15] | 
SEA Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Malawati Stadium, Selangor, Malaysia |  Bambang Suprianto |  Candra Wijaya  Sigit Budiarto | 4–15, 6–15 |  Silver | [16] | 
BWF Superseries (1 title, 4 runners-up)
The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007,[17] is a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels are Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consists of twelve tournaments around the world that have been introduced since 2011.[18] Successful players are invited to the Superseries Finals, which are held at the end of each year.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Malaysia Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Koo Kien Keat  Tan Boon Heong | 15–21, 18–21 |  Runner-up | [19][20] | 
| 2007 | Japan Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Luluk Hadiyanto  Alvent Yulianto | 21–18, 21–17 |  Winner | [21] | 
| 2007 | Hong Kong Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Markis Kido  Hendra Setiawan | 12–21, 21–18, 13–21 |  Runner-up | [22] | 
| 2008 | Indonesia Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif  Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari | 21–19, 18–21, 14–21 |  Runner-up | [23] | 
| 2010 | Singapore Open |  Howard Bach |  Fang Chieh-min  Lee Sheng-mu | 14–21, 15–21 |  Runner-up | [24] | 
- BWF Superseries Finals tournament
- BWF Superseries Premier tournament
- BWF Superseries tournament
IBF/BWF Grand Prix (29 titles, 8 runners-up)
The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) which was held from 2007 to 2017. The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Russian Open |  Rudy Wijaya |  Thomas Lund  Jon Holst-Christensen | 8–15, 15–11, 14–17 |  Runner-up | 
| 1995 | Denmark Open |  Rudy Wijaya |  Thomas Lund  Jon Holst-Christensen | 17–16, 5–15, 6–15 |  Runner-up | 
| 1997 | Polish Open |  Victo Wibowo |  Rudy Wijaya  Seng Kok Keong | 15–11, 15–6 |  Winner | 
| 1998 | Swedish Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Yang Ming  Zhang Jun | 15–3, 15–6 |  Winner | 
| 1998 | All England Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Lee Dong-soo  Yoo Yong-sung | 10–15, 10–15 |  Runner-up | 
| 1998 | Malaysia Open |  Halim Haryanto |  Liu Yong  Yu Jinhao | 6–15, 15–5, 15–11 |  Winner | 
| 1998 | Brunei Open |  Halim Haryanto |  Michael Søgaard  Denny Kantono | 15–2, 15–8 |  Winner | 
| 1998 | Hong Kong Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Jens Eriksen  Jesper Larsen | 15–10, 15–9 |  Winner | 
| 1998 | World Grand Prix Finals |  Halim Haryanto |  Antonius Ariantho  Denny Kantono | 11–15, 15–5, 11–15 |  Runner-up | 
| 1999 | All England Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Lee Dong-soo  Yoo Yong-sung | 15–7, 15–5 |  Winner | 
| 1999 | Malaysia Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Eng Hian  Flandy Limpele | 15–6, 15–11 |  Winner | 
| 1999 | Singapore Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Choong Tan Fook  Lee Wan Wah | 7–15, 15–14, 12–15 |  Runner-up | 
| 1999 | Indonesia Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Rexy Mainaky  Ricky Subagja | 12–15, 8–15 |  Runner-up | 
| 1999 | World Grand Prix Finals |  Candra Wijaya |  Ha Tae-kwon  Kim Dong-moon | 15–7, 8–15, 15–11 |  Winner | 
| 2000 | Chinese Taipei Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Cheah Soon Kit  Yap Kim Hock | 15–7, 15–7 |  Winner | 
| 2000 | Japan Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Lee Dong-soo  Yoo Yong-sung | 15–6, 15–7 |  Winner | 
| 2000 | Indonesia Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Eng Hian  Flandy Limpele | 14–17, 15–8, 15–8 |  Winner | 
| 2000 | World Grand Prix Finals |  Candra Wijaya |  Sigit Budiarto  Halim Haryanto | 7–5, 8–6, 7–2 |  Winner | 
| 2002 | U.S. Open |  Khan Malaythong |  Howard Bach  Kevin Han | 11–15, 15–7, 15–7 |  Winner | 
| 2002 | Puerto Rico Open |  Khan Malaythong |  José Antonio Crespo  Sergio Llopis | 15–6, 15–3 |  Winner | 
| 2003 | U.S. Open |  Khan Malaythong |  Lee Sung-yuan  Lin Wei-hsiang | 6–15, 15–4, 15–5 |  Winner | 
| 2004 | U.S. Open |  Howard Bach |  Mathias Boe  Carsten Mogensen | 15–5, 15–7 |  Winner | 
| 2004 | Dutch Open |  Howard Bach |  Thomas Laybourn  Peter Steffensen | 15–8, 15–7 |  Winner | 
| 2005 | Bitburger Open |  Halim Haryanto | .svg.png) Mike Beres .svg.png) William Milroy | 15–3, 15–6 |  Winner | 
| 2005 | Chinese Taipei Open |  Halim Haryanto |  Mathias Boe  Carsten Mogensen | 15–13, 15–13 |  Winner | 
| 2006 | Korea Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Hwang Ji-man  Lee Jae-jin | 21–18, 21–18 |  Winner | 
| 2006 | Indonesia Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Markis Kido  Hendra Setiawan | 21–11, 21–16 |  Winner | 
| 2006 | U.S. Open |  Halim Haryanto |  Vitalij Durkin  Aleksandr Nikolaenko | 21–10, 21–19 |  Winner | 
| 2006 | Japan Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Koo Kien Keat  Tan Boon Heong | 21–15, 21–14 |  Winner | 
| 2008 | Chinese Taipei Open |  Candra Wijaya |  Mathias Boe  Carsten Mogensen | 14–21, 20–22 |  Runner-up | 
| 2009 | U.S. Open |  Howard Bach |  Jürgen Koch  Peter Zauner | 21–12, 21–9 |  Winner | 
| 2011 | U.S. Open |  Howard Bach |  Ko Sung-hyun  Lee Yong-dae | 9–21, 19–21 |  Runner-up | 
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | U.S. Open |  Etty Tantri |  Simon Archer  Marina Andrievskaya | 7–11, 11–4, 11–6 |  Winner | 
| 2002 | Puerto Rico Open |  Mesinee Mangkalakiri |  Tjitte Weistra  Doriana Rivera | 11–2, 11–3 |  Winner | 
| 2003 | U.S. Open |  Etty Tantri |  Hwang Ji-man  Lee Eun-woo | 15–5, 15–9 |  Winner | 
| 2005 | Chinese Taipei Open |  Cheng Wen-hsing |  Devin Lahardi Fitriawan  Vita Marissa | 17–15, 15–6 |  Winner | 
| 2012 | U.S. Open |  Vita Marissa |  Kenichi Hayakawa  Misaki Matsutomo | 21–13, 21–10 |  Winner | 
IBF/BWF International Challenge/Series (8 titles, 2 runners-up)
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | U.S. International |  Hsieh Yu-hsing | 2–15, 2–15 |  Runner-up | 
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | French International |  Victo Wibowo |  Davis Efraim  Halim Haryanto | 15–10, 15–8 |  Winner | 
| 2002 | Southern Pan Am Classic |  Khan Malaythong | .svg.png) Philippe Bourret .svg.png) Alexandre Tremblay | 15–4, 15–4 |  Winner | 
| 2005 | SCBA International |  Howard Bach |  Raju Rai  Khan Malaythong | 1–0 Retired |  Winner | 
| 2005 | U.S. International |  Howard Bach | .svg.png) Mike Beres .svg.png) William Milroy | 15–1, 15–2 |  Winner | 
| 2011 | Peru International |  Howard Bach | .svg.png) Adrian Liu .svg.png) Derrick Ng | 21–10, 21–9 |  Winner | 
| 2012 | Peru International |  Howard Bach | .svg.png) Adrian Liu .svg.png) Derrick Ng | 13–21, 21–13, 21–9 |  Winner | 
| 2017 | U.S. International |  Vinson Chiu |  Daniel Benz  Andreas Heinz | 16–21, 21–14, 21–14 |  Winner | 
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | USA Southern Pan Am International |  Mesinee Mangkalakiri | .svg.png) Philippe Bourret .svg.png) Denyse Julien | 11–3, 11–5 |  Winner | [25] | 
| 2016 | Manhattan Beach International |  Mirabelle Huang |  David Yedija Pohan  Jenna Gozali | 15–21, 13–21 |  Runner-up | [26] | 
IBF International (1 runner-up)
Boys' singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | German Junior |  Jeffer Rosobin |  Runner-up | [27] | 
Invitational tournaments
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Copenhagen Masters |  Candra Wijaya |  Simon Archer  Chris Hunt | 15–13, 15–8 |  Winner | [28] | 
| 1999 | Ipoh Masters |  Candra Wijaya |  Flandy Limpele  Eng Hian | 15–11, 15–9 |  Winner | [29] | 
| 2000 | Copenhagen Masters |  Halim Haryanto |  Flandy Limpele  Eng Hian | 7–8, 7–5, 4–7, 7–5, 5–7 |  Runner-up | [30] | 
| 2005 | Copenhagen Masters |  Howard Bach |  Cai Yun  Fu Haifeng | 15–12, 11–15, 15–4 |  Winner | [31] | 
Performance timeline
Indonesian team
- Senior level
| Team Events | 1998 | 
|---|---|
| Asian Games |  Gold | 
| Team Events | 2000 | 
|---|---|
| Thomas Cup |  Gold | 
Individual competitions
- Senior level
| Event | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWF World Championships | R3 | QF |  Gold | A |  Gold | A | QF | QF | R1 | R1 | 
| Event | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympics |  Gold | A | A | GS | 
Notes
- ^ Based on data on the official website, Tony Gunawan represented Indonesia at the 2017 World Masters Games.
References
- ^ latimes.com
- ^ "BULU TANGKIS OLIMPIADE: Kini Perkuat AS, Tony Gunawan Punya Romantisme Tersendiri" (in Indonesian). Espos. August 1, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ Beck, Robyn (September 21, 2000). "OLY2000-BAD-INA-MEDAL". Getty Images.
- ^ "Badminton at the 2000 Summer Olympics: Doubles, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ "Hendrawan juara dunia selepas jinakkan Gade". Berita Harian. June 11, 2001. p. 14.
- ^ Burkhart, Gerard (August 21, 2005). "Tony Gunawan (L) and Howard Bach, of the US". Getty Images.
- ^ "World Cup 2005". Badminton Ranks. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
- ^ "World Masters Games 2017 - A Grade, Men's Doubles - 35+ - 1st-3rd". Badminton New Zealand Tournamentsoftware. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "World Masters Games 2017 - A Grade, Men's Doubles - 40+ - 1st-3rd". Badminton New Zealand Tournamentsoftware. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ Liew, Vincent (September 27, 2015). "Indonesia win four golds at Senior World Championships in Sweden". Badminton Planet. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
- ^ Kurnia Harinanto, Candra (September 18, 2023). "Para Legenda Bulu Tangkis Indonesia Berjaya di Kejuaraan Dunia Senior 2023" (in Indonesian). Jawa Pos. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ "Tony Gunawan (left) and Howard Bach of the United States celebrate winning the gold in the men's doubles badminton event at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico". Badminton Planet. October 2011.
- ^ "XVI Pan Am Games, Guadalajara 2011". Badminton World Federation. October 20, 2011.
- ^ "1996 Ciba Asia Cup". www.worldbadminton.com. D. Shuttlenews. June 21, 1996. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "RASHID SIDEK BAGS ASIA CUP SINGLES CROWN". www.worldbadminton.com. D. Shuttlenews. June 23, 1996. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "2001 SEA Games Badminton Results". 2001 SEA Games. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ "BWF Launches Super Series". Badminton Australia. December 15, 2006. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007.
- ^ "Yonex All England Elevated To BWF Premier Super Series Event". www.ibadmintonstore.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- ^ "Bao misses Malaysian Open title". China Daily. January 22, 2007.
- ^ "Malaysia Open 2007". Badminton Ranks. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ^ Kimura, Junko (September 16, 2007). "Yonex Japan Open 2007 - Day 5". Getty Images.
- ^ Sallay, Alvin (December 3, 2007). "World number ones a winning pair". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ "Indonesia Open 2008". Badminton Ranks. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
- ^ "Sony Juarai Singapura Terbuka" (in Indonesian). Tempo. June 20, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "USA Southern Pan Am Classic 2002". Badminton World Federation. November 3, 2002.
- ^ "Badminton - International des Etats-Unis - Doubles Mixtes - 2016 - Résultats détaillés" (in French). LesSports.info. February 7, 2016.
- ^ "German Junior" (in German). badminton.de. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "COPENHAGEN MASTERS: SUN JUN, CAMILLA MASTER THE MASTERS". World Badminton. December 30, 1997. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ "Ipoh Masters: Peter G. Wallops Peter R. In Final". World Badminton. November 6, 1999.
- ^ "Copenhagen Masters 2000". Badminton Denmark. Archived from the original on July 25, 2001. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ^ "Copenhagen Masters 2005". Badminton Ranks. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- General
- "Birdie Boys". AsianWeek. September 2, 2005. Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2006.
- "Gunawan, Bach talk about their world title". U.S. Olympic Team. August 22, 2005. Retrieved May 11, 2006.
- "Tony Gunawan at databaseOlympics.com". Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. Retrieved May 10, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
- Tony Gunawan at cnnsi.com
- Tony Gunawan at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
External links
- Tony Gunawan at BWFBadminton.com
- Tony Gunawan at BWF.TournamentSoftware.com (archived, alternate link)
- Tony Gunawan at Olympedia
- Tony Gunawan at Olympics.com

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