Ippei Kojima

Ippei Kojima (born 1944) is a former Japanese badminton player who won a record eight Japanese national men's singles titles and some major international titles in both singles and doubles between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s.

Ippei Kojima
Personal information
CountryJapan
Born1944 (age 7879)
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Japan
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 1966 Bangkok Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 1970 Bangkok Men's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1970 Bangkok Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1970 Bangkok Men's team
Asian Championships
Silver medal – second place 1969 Manila Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1969 Manila Men's team

Career

His game was marked by exceptional foot speed, great tenacity, and power surprising for a man who was about five feet (1.524 meters) tall. Kojima is the first of only two Japanese players to have won men's singles at the prestigious Danish Open (1970). He also shared the Danish Open men's doubles title, with different partners, in 1968 and 1969.[1] In 1970 he reached the final of all three events at both the U.S. and Canadian Open championships, winning men's doubles in the U.S. and both singles and mixed doubles in Canada. In 1971 he won men's singles at the Singapore Open and over a select international field at the Flare Square Invitational, a one-time-only event held in conjunction with the Calgary (Canada) Stampede, where he defeated Denmark's Svend Pri in the final. Perhaps the most notable matches of Kojima's career were a series of close but losing singles efforts against the iconic Rudy Hartono in Thomas Cup, the All-Englands, and other major venues in 1970 and 1971.[2][3]

Achievements

Asian Games

Men's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1970 Kittikachorn Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand Indonesia Muljadi 15–17, 15–11, 10–15 Bronze Bronze

International tournaments

Men's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
1968 Malaysia Open Malaysia Tan Aik Huang 4–15, 15–13, 6–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1968 Singapore Open Malaysia Tan Aik Huang 12–15, 4–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970 Denmark Open Denmark Erland Kops 15–3, 15–10 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1970 US Open Japan Junji Honma 15–13, 8–15, 8–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970 Canada Open Japan Junji Honma 15-11, 9-15, 15-6 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1971 Denmark Open Indonesia Rudy Hartono 18–14, 14–15, 11–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1971 Canada Open Indonesia Rudy Hartono 7–15, 2–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1971 Flare Square Invitational Denmark Svend Pri 15–3, 15–4 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1971 Singapore Open Indonesia Nunung Murdjianto 15–3, 18–16 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1972 Denmark Open Denmark Svend Pri 9–15, 5–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1968 Malaysia Open Japan Issei Nichino Malaysia Tan Yee Khan
Malaysia Ng Boon Bee
15–11, 9–15, 9–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1968 Denmark Open Japan Issei Nichino 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1969 Denmark Open Denmark Bjarne Andersen Malaysia Tan Aik Huang
Malaysia Tan Aik Mong
15–9, 6–15, 15–7 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1969 US Open Thailand Channarong Ratanaseangsuang Malaysia Punch Gunalan
Malaysia Ng Boon Bee
3–15, 7–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970 Canada Open Japan Junji Honma Thailand Channarong Ratanaseangsuang
Thailand Raphi Kanchanaraphi
10–15, 9–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970 US Open Japan Junji Honma United States Don Paup
United States Jim Poole
17-14, 15–2 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1971 Singapore Open Japan Junji Honma Indonesia Ade Chandra
Indonesia Christian Hadinata
10–15, 8–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1970 US Open Japan Machiko Aizawa England Paul Whetnall
England Margaret Boxall
8–15, 2–15 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970 Canada Open England Susan Whetnall England Paul Whetnall
England Margaret Boxall
10–15, 15–5, 15–13 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner

References

  1. Herbert Scheele, The International Badminton Federation Handbook for 1971 (Canterbury, Kent, England: J. A. Jennings Ltd., 1971) 152, 153.
  2. Herbert Scheele, The International Badminton Federation Handbook for 1971 (Canterbury, Kent, England: J. A. Jennings Ltd., 1971) 45.
  3. "Danish National Championships", Badminton USA, May 1971, 23.
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