Ippei Kojima

Ippei Kojima

Personal information
Born	1944 (age 81–82)
Sport
Country	Japan
Sport	Badminton
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

Ippei Kojima (小島 一平, Kojima Ippei; 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.

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. 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.

Achievements

Asian Games

Men's singles

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

International tournaments

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
1968	Malaysia Open	Tan Aik Huang	4–15, 15–13, 6–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1968	Singapore Open	Tan Aik Huang	12–15, 4–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970	Denmark Open	Erland Kops	15–3, 15–10	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1970	US Open	Junji Honma	15–13, 8–15, 8–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970	Canada Open	Junji Honma	15–11, 9–15, 15–6	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1971	Denmark Open	Rudy Hartono	18–14, 14–15, 11–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1971	Canada Open	Rudy Hartono	7–15, 2–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1971	Flare Square Invitational	Svend Pri	15–3, 15–4	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1971	Singapore Open	Nunung Murdjianto	15–3, 18–16	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1972	Denmark Open	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	Issei Nichino	Tan Yee Khan Ng Boon Bee	15–11, 9–15, 9–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1968	Denmark Open	Issei Nichino	Henning Borch Erland Kops	17–15, 17–16	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1969	Denmark Open	Bjarne Andersen	Tan Aik Huang Tan Aik Mong	15–9, 6–15, 15–7	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1969	US Open	Channarong Ratanaseangsuang	Punch Gunalan Ng Boon Bee	3–15, 7–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970	Canada Open	Junji Honma	Channarong Ratanaseangsuang Raphi Kanchanaraphi	10–15, 9–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970	US Open	Junji Honma	Don Paup Jim Poole	17-14, 15–2	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1971	Singapore Open	Junji Honma	Ade Chandra Christian Hadinata	10–15, 8–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1970	US Open	Machiko Aizawa	Paul Whetnall Margaret Boxall	8–15, 2–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1970	Canada Open	Susan Whetnall	Paul Whetnall Margaret Boxall	12–15, 15–5, 15–13	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner

External links

• Ippei Kojima at Olympedia
• Ippei Kojima at Olympics.com