Finn Kobberø (13 March 1936 – 21 January 2009) was a badminton player from Denmark, who won numerous international titles in all of badminton's three events (singles, doubles, and mixed doubles) from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s.

Finn Kobberø
Personal information
Country Denmark
Born(1936-03-13)13 March 1936
Died21 January 2009(2009-01-21) (aged 72)
EventDoubles, singles
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Denmark
Thomas Cup
Silver medal – second place 1955 Tokyo Team
Silver medal – second place 1964 Tokyo Team

Career

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He was one of the most successful players in the history of the All England Open Badminton Championships with 15 titles between 1955 and 1966, 7 in men's doubles, mainly with hard-hitting Jorgen Hammergaard Hansen, and 8 in mixed doubles. He was also a three-time singles finalist at the All-Englands[1] despite a storied disdain for physical conditioning. A leading player on all of Denmark's Thomas Cup (men's international) teams from 1954 through 1964, he won 55 of 64 individual matches.[2] Powerful, quick, and deceptive, he has been rated among the most talented players in the sport's history.[3] He won 22 Danish national championships in all. He also won each of the three events at the Danish Open Championships though the tournament was not held during most of the years that he was active as a player.

Kobberø was inducted into the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1997.[4] He later worked as a sports journalist for national television in Denmark. He died January 21, 2009.

Achievements

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Rank Event Date Venue
1
Mixed doubles 1955, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966 All England Open
1 Singles 1956, 1957 U.S. Open
Men's doubles 1958, 1960
Mixed doubles 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960
1 Men's doubles 1961, 1962 French Open
Mixed doubles 1962
2 Men's singles 1956, 1958, 1961 All England Open
Mixed doubles 1954, 1958, 1964

International tournaments

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Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1955 All England   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Eddy Choong
  David Choong
15–9, 14–17, 15–11   Winner
1955 Malaysia Open   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Ong Poh Lim
  Ooi Teik Hock
7–15, 17–18   Runner-up
1956 All England   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   John Nygaard
  Poul-Erik Nielsen
18–14, 15–5   Winner
1956 US Open   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Ong Poh Lim
  Ooi Teik Hock
15–8, 9–15, 15–7   Winner
1957 US Open   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Eddy Choong
  Bert Fergus
15–12, 15–2   Winner
1958 All England   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Erland Kops
  Poul-Erik Nielsen
7–15, 15–11, 8–15   Runner-up
1961 All England   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Erland Kops
  Poul-Erik Nielsen
15–6, 15–5   Winner
1961 Canada Open   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Erland Kops
  Robert McCoig
15–8, 15–10   Winner
1962 German Open   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Erland Kops
  Poul-Erik Nielsen
15–7, 15–13   Winner
1962 Belgian International   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Oon Chong Teik
  Ole Mertz
15–9, 7–15, 6–15   Runner-up
1962 All England   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Narong Bhornchima
  Raphi Kanchanaraphi
17–16, 15–3   Winner
1963 All England   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Tan Joe Hock
  Ferry Sonneville
10–15, 15–4, 15–7   Winner
1964 German Open   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Erland Kops
  Poul-Erik Nielsen
3–15, 6–15   Runner-up
1964 All England   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Erland Kops
  Poul-Erik Nielsen
15–6, 15–3   Winner
1966 All England   Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen   Ng Boon Bee
  Tan Yee Khan
15–9, 9–15, 15–17   Runner-up

References

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  1. ^ Herbert Scheele ed., The International Badminton Federation Handbook for 1967 (Canterbury, Kent, England: J. A. Jennings Ltd., 1967) 166-170.
  2. ^ Herbert Scheele ed., The International Badminton Federation Handbook for 1967 (Canterbury, Kent, England: J. A, Jennings Ltd., 1967) 71-87.
  3. ^ Pat Davis, The Guinness Book of Badminton (Enfield, Middlesex, England, 1983) 112.
  4. ^ "Hall of Fame of the Badminton World Federation". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.