Hiroyuki Endo (遠藤 大由, Endō Hiroyuki, born 16 December 1986) is a retired Japanese badminton player. He competed at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.[2][3] In 2009, he joined the Unisys badminton team.[4]

Hiroyuki Endo
Personal information
CountryJapan
Born (1986-12-16) 16 December 1986 (age 37)
Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan
ResidenceTokyo, Japan
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight72 kg (159 lb)
Retired9 September 2021[1]
HandednessRight
Men's doubles
Highest ranking2 (with Kenichi Hayakawa 19 June 2014)
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Japan
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Jakarta Men's doubles
Sudirman Cup
Silver medal – second place 2015 Dongguan Mixed team
Silver medal – second place 2019 Nanning Mixed team
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Gold Coast Mixed team
Thomas Cup
Gold medal – first place 2014 New Delhi Men's team
Silver medal – second place 2018 Bangkok Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Kuala Lumpur Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Wuhan Men's team
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Wuhan Men's doubles
Silver medal – second place 2012 Qingdao Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Taipei Men's doubles
Asia Mixed Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Ho Chi Minh Mixed team
Asia Team Championships
Silver medal – second place 2016 Hyderabad Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Manila Men's team
BWF profile

Career edit

Endo won the 1st point in the Thomas Cup finals with Kenichi Hayakawa beating Tan Boon Heong and Hoon Thien How and led the momentum for the Japanese team to claim the Thomas Cup for the first time, being the fourth nation to win the Thomas cup after Indonesia, China and Malaysia. Known for his defensive skills alongside his knowledge of the game, Endo has reached the finals of the All England Open tournament a total of 5 times, being the runner-up three times with his then partner, Kenichi Hayakawa and winning back to back titles, defending his 2020 All England Open title in 2021 with his current partner, Yuta Watanabe.

In July 2021, Endo competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the men's doubles partnering Yuta Watanabe. They were stopped in the quarter-finals, losing to Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin, the eventual champions, in straight games.[5]

Retirement edit

At the beginning of September 2021 Hiroyuki Endo, at that time World No. 5 together with Yuta Watanabe, decided to resign from the Japanese National badminton team. This announcement just after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was made together with the announcement of retirements of men's doubles compatriots Keigo Sonoda and Takeshi Kamura.[6] Endo, already 34 at the time of his retirement, wanted his partner Yuta Watanabe to fully concentrate on playing men’s doubles with him and stop playing mixed doubles for some time. When he could not come to an agreement with Watanabe, he chose to retire. Meanwhile Yuta, because he won the mixed doubles bronze medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, still wanted to play both disciplines.[7] “Thank you for your hard work as a National representative! You stayed as an A team member for 13 years. You piled up the endurance day by day. I guess you could do it because you hate to lose. I know you have been going through a lot of things, but you are amazing!” wrote Endo’s wife on twitter. Endo became coach of his badminton club Nihon Unisys in Japan after his retirement.

 
Hiroyuki Endo

Achievements edit

BWF World Championships edit

Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2015 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia   Kenichi Hayakawa   Liu Xiaolong
  Qiu Zihan
16–21, 23–21, 20–22   Bronze

Asian Championships edit

Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
2012 Qingdao Sports Centre Conson Stadium,
Qingdao, China
  Kenichi Hayakawa   Kim Gi-jung
  Kim Sa-rang
12–21, 16–21   Silver
2013 Taipei Arena,
Taipei, Taiwan
  Kenichi Hayakawa   Kim Gi-jung
  Kim Sa-rang
21–19, 13–21, 14–21   Bronze
2019 Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium,
Wuhan, China
  Yuta Watanabe   Marcus Fernaldi Gideon
  Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo
21–18, 21–3   Gold

BWF World Tour (4 titles, 5 runners-up) edit

The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[8] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100.[9]

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result
2018 Malaysia Open Super 750   Yuta Watanabe   Takeshi Kamura
  Keigo Sonoda
8–21, 10–21   Runner-up
2018 Thailand Open Super 500   Yuta Watanabe   Takeshi Kamura
  Keigo Sonoda
17–21, 19–21   Runner-up
2018 Korea Open Super 500   Yuta Watanabe   Takuro Hoki
  Yugo Kobayashi
9–21, 21–15, 21–10   Winner
2018 BWF World Tour Finals World Tour Finals   Yuta Watanabe   Li Junhui
  Liu Yuchen
15–21, 11–21   Runner-up
2019 German Open Super 300   Yuta Watanabe   Takeshi Kamura
  Keigo Sonoda
15–21, 21–11, 21–12   Winner
2019 New Zealand Open Super 300   Yuta Watanabe   Mohammad Ahsan
  Hendra Setiawan
22–20, 15–21, 17–21   Runner-up
2019 BWF World Tour Finals World Tour Finals   Yuta Watanabe   Mohammad Ahsan
  Hendra Setiawan
22–24, 19–21   Runner-up
2020 All England Open Super 1000   Yuta Watanabe   Marcus Fernaldi Gideon
  Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo
21–18, 12–21, 21–19   Winner
2021 All England Open Super 1000   Yuta Watanabe   Takeshi Kamura
  Keigo Sonoda
21–15, 17–21, 21–11   Winner

BWF Superseries (7 runners-up) edit

The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007,[10] was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011.[11] Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2012 China Masters   Kenichi Hayakawa   Chai Biao
  Zhang Nan
18–21, 17–21   Runner-up
2012 World Superseries Finals   Kenichi Hayakawa   Mathias Boe
  Carsten Mogensen
17–21, 19–21   Runner-up
2013 All England Open   Kenichi Hayakawa   Liu Xiaolong
  Qiu Zihan
11–21, 9–21   Runner-up
2013 China Masters   Kenichi Hayakawa   Ko Sung-hyun
  Lee Yong-dae
23–25, 19–21   Runner-up
2014 All England Open   Kenichi Hayakawa   Mohammad Ahsan
  Hendra Setiawan
19–21, 19–21   Runner-up
2014 French Open   Kenichi Hayakawa   Mathias Boe
  Carsten Mogensen
21–18, 9–21, 7–21   Runner-up
2016 All England Open   Kenichi Hayakawa   Vladimir Ivanov
  Ivan Sozonov
23–21, 18–21, 16–21   Runner-up
  BWF Superseries Finals tournament
  BWF Superseries Premier tournament
  BWF Superseries tournament

BWF Grand Prix (3 titles, 3 runners-up) edit

The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2010 Australian Open   Kenichi Hayakawa   Kang Woo-kyum
  Park Tae-sang
21–15, 21–16   Winner
2011 Australian Open   Kenichi Hayakawa   Naoki Kawamae
  Shoji Sato
21–17, 21–18   Winner
2011 Russian Open   Kenichi Hayakawa   Naoki Kawamae
  Shoji Sato
18–21, 17–21   Runner-up
2011 Indonesia Grand Prix Gold   Kenichi Hayakawa   Mohammad Ahsan
  Bona Septano
13–21, 14–21   Runner-up
2012 U.S. Open   Kenichi Hayakawa   Yoshiteru Hirobe
  Kenta Kazuno
21–15, 21–10   Winner
2014 German Open   Kenichi Hayakawa   Takeshi Kamura
  Keigo Sonoda
19–21, 21–14, 14–21   Runner-up
  BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
  BWF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series (1 runner-up) edit

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2010 Osaka International   Yoshiteru Hirobe   Hirokatsu Hashimoto
  Noriyasu Hirata
21–16, 21–23, 17–21   Runner-up
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament

References edit

  1. ^ "Kamura, Sonoda and Endo retire from the Japanese national team". 360 badminton. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Players: Hiroyuki Endo". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Endo/Hayakawa Clinch Thriller: Day 1 Session 1 – Rio 2016". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  4. ^ "選手・スタッフ紹介: 遠藤 大由 Hiroyuki Endo". Unisys (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Badminton - ENDO Hiroyuki". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Hiroyuki Endo, Keigo Sonoda, and Takeshi Kamura resigns Japanese National Badminton Team". BadmintonPlanet.com. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Endo wanted partner Watanabe to focus only on men's doubles?". 360badminton.com. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  8. ^ Alleyne, Gayle (19 March 2017). "BWF Launches New Events Structure". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  9. ^ Sukumar, Dev (10 January 2018). "Action-Packed Season Ahead!". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  10. ^ "BWF Launches Super Series". Badminton Australia. 15 December 2006. Archived from the original on 6 October 2007.
  11. ^ "Yonex All England Elevated To BWF Premier Super Series Event". IBadmintonstore. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.

External links edit