Petr Koukal (badminton)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Czech RepublicHořovice, Czech Republic
| Petr Koukal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal information | |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Born | 14 December 1985 Hořovice, Czech Republic |
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb) |
| Men's singles | |
| Highest ranking | 38 (23 Sep 2010) |
| Current ranking | 87 (17 Nov 2016) |
| BWF profile | |
Petr Koukal (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpɛtr̩ ˈkoukal]; born 14 December 1985) is a Czech professional badminton player.
Koukal started playing badminton in 1993, at a club owned by his father in Hořovice, and made his debut in the international tournament in 2000.[1] In 2003 he was selected to join the national team, and at the same year, he won the mixed doubles title at the national championships partnered with Markéta Koudelková. Until 2016, he has collected 9 national titles, where 8 of them won in the men's singles event.[1][2] Koukal first competed at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.[3]
In 2010, Koukal was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent a successful therapy.[3][4] He was awarded 2011 Fair Play Award, in Brno, Czech Republic.[1] In July 2012, Czech Olympic Committee announced selection of Koukal for flag bearer of Czech team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, citing him as an example of sport role in recovery from a grave illness and of return to competition at top level.[3][5][6]
In 2016, Petr Koukal was awarded as the secondary recipient of the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award for his commitment and help to men with testicular cancer through his foundation. In May 2016, Koukal married Czech biathlete Gabriela Soukalová ;[7] they divorced in late 2020. He made his third appearance at the Summer Olympics through the Tripartite Commission Invitation.[3][8]
