Tony Gunawan
Indonesian-born American badminton player (born 1975)
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Tony Gunawan (Chinese: 吳俊明; pinyin: Wu Junming; born April 9, 1975) is an Indonesian-born American former badminton player. He gained several international achievements for Indonesia and later for the United States, including an Olympic gold medal and world champion title.
United States (2001–present)
Career
Gunawan is a former Olympic gold medalist and world champion for Indonesia, and later a world champion for the United States. He is regarded by many, including his peers, as one of the greatest doubles players in badminton history.[1] A superb all-court player with a particular facility in the forecourt, he won the 2000 Olympic gold medal, the 2001 IBF World Championships, and 2005 IBF World Championships with 3 different men's doubles partners.
He won the men's doubles gold medal in the 2005 World Championships from the 13th seeded position with his American partner Howard Bach. Gunawan partnered with Halim Haryanto to win the 2001 World Championships as well as the 2001 All-England Open, and with Candra Wijaya to win the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He was a member of the world champion 2000 Indonesia Thomas Cup team, winning his match in the final against China with yet another partner, Rexy Mainaky.
Gunawan and Bach won the 2005 IBF World Championships Men's Doubles gold over Gunawan's ex-partner Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto who were also finalists in the 2003 IBF World Championships in the same event. Tony played for Indonesia from 1992 to 2001 and won numerous international titles. He has coached and played for USA since 2001. Tony is currently studying in Orange County, California and coaches at Global Badminton Academy.
Awards
| Award | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Olympic Committee Award | 2005 | US Olympic Committee Team of The Year | Won | [2] |
Achievements
Olympic Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Dome, Sydney, Australia |  Candra Wijaya |
 Lee Dong-soo Yoo Yong-sung |
15–10, 9–15, 15–7 |  Gold |
[3][4] |
World Championships
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Palacio de Deportes de San Pablo, Seville, Spain |
Halim Haryanto |
Ha Tae-kwon Kim Dong-moon |
15–0, 15–13 |  Gold |
[5] |
| 2005 | Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, United States |  Howard Bach |
Sigit Budiarto Candra Wijaya |
15–11, 10–15, 15–11 | Gold |
[6] |
World Cup
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Olympic Park, Yiyang, China | Howard Bach |
Sigit Budiarto Candra Wijaya |
18–21, 9–21 |  Bronze |
[7] |
World Masters Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Age | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 35+ | Auckland Badminton Centre, Auckland, New Zealand |
Tri Kusharjanto |
 Jan Fröhlich  Carsten Loesch |
21–11, 21–17 | Gold |
[8] |
| 2017 | 40+ | Auckland Badminton Centre, Auckland, New Zealand |
Effendy Widjaja |
Tri Kusharjanto Hariyanto Arbi |
20–22, 14–21 |  Silver |
[9] |
World Senior Championships
Men's doubles
| Year | Age | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 35+ | Helsingborg Arena, Helsingborg, Sweden |
Flandy Limpele |
 Naruenart Chuaymak Apichai Thiraratsakul |
21–13, 21–9 | Gold |
[10] |
| 2023 | 45+ | Hwasan Indoor Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea |
Tri Kusharjanto |
Naruenart Chuaymak Thaweesak Koetsriphan |
21–14, 21–13 | Gold |
[11] |
| 2025 | 40+ | Eastern National Sports Training Centre, Pattaya, Thailand |
Hendra Setiawan |
Boonsak Ponsana Jakrapan Thanathiratham |
21–18, 21–16 | Gold |
[12] |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Age | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 45+ | Eastern National Sports Training Centre, Pattaya, Thailand |
 Rebecca Pantaney |
 Hosemari Fujimoto Fumika Hashimoto |
15–21, 18–21 | Bronze |
[13] |
Pan American Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Multipurpose Gymnasium, Guadalajara, Mexico |
Howard Bach |
Halim Haryanto Sattawat Pongnairat |
21–10, 21–14 | Gold |
[14][15] |
Asian Championships
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia |
Rexy Mainaky |
 Choong Tan Fook Lee Wan Wah |
15–8, 15–9 | Gold |
| 2001 | PhilSports Arena, Manila, Philippines | Candra Wijaya |
Tri Kusharjanto Bambang Suprianto |
15–8, 13–15, 13–15 | Silver |
Asian Cup
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Olympic Gymnasium No. 2, Seoul, South Korea |
Rudy Wijaya |
Kim Dong-moon Yoo Yong-sung |
10–15, 8–15 | Silver |
[16][17] |
SEA Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Malawati Stadium, Selangor, Malaysia |
Bambang Suprianto |
Candra Wijaya Sigit Budiarto |
4–15, 6–15 | Silver |
[18] |
BWF Superseries (1 title, 4 runners-up)
The BWF Superseries, which was launched on December 14, 2006 and implemented in 2007,[19] is a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels are Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consists of twelve tournaments around the world that have been introduced since 2011.[20] Successful players are invited to the Superseries Finals, which are held at the end of each year.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Malaysia Open | Candra Wijaya |
Koo Kien Keat Tan Boon Heong |
15–21, 18–21 |  Runner-up |
[21][22] |
| 2007 | Japan Open | Candra Wijaya |
Luluk Hadiyanto Alvent Yulianto |
21–18, 21–17 |  Winner |
[23] |
| 2007 | Hong Kong Open | Candra Wijaya |
Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan |
12–21, 21–18, 13–21 | Runner-up |
[24] |
| 2008 | Indonesia Open | Candra Wijaya |
Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari |
21–19, 18–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
[25] |
| 2010 | Singapore Open | Howard Bach |
 Fang Chieh-min Lee Sheng-mu |
14–21, 15–21 | Runner-up |
[26] |
- BWF Superseries Finals tournament
- BWF Superseries Premier tournament
- BWF Superseries tournament
IBF/BWF Grand Prix (29 titles, 8 runners-up)
The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) which was held from 2007 to 2017. The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Russian Open | Rudy Wijaya |
Thomas Lund Jon Holst-Christensen |
8–15, 15–11, 14–17 | Runner-up |
| 1995 | Denmark Open | Rudy Wijaya |
Thomas Lund Jon Holst-Christensen |
17–16, 5–15, 6–15 | Runner-up |
| 1997 | Polish Open | Victo Wibowo |
Rudy Wijaya Seng Kok Keong |
15–11, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1998 | Swedish Open | Candra Wijaya |
 Yang Ming Zhang Jun |
15–3, 15–6 | Winner |
| 1998 | All England Open | Candra Wijaya |
Lee Dong-soo Yoo Yong-sung |
10–15, 10–15 | Runner-up |
| 1998 | Malaysia Open | Halim Haryanto |
Liu Yong Yu Jinhao |
6–15, 15–5, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1998 | Brunei Open | Halim Haryanto |
Michael Søgaard Denny Kantono |
15–2, 15–8 | Winner |
| 1998 | Hong Kong Open | Candra Wijaya |
Jens Eriksen Jesper Larsen |
15–10, 15–9 | Winner |
| 1998 | World Grand Prix Finals | Halim Haryanto |
Antonius Ariantho Denny Kantono |
11–15, 15–5, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1999 | All England Open | Candra Wijaya |
Lee Dong-soo Yoo Yong-sung |
15–7, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1999 | Malaysia Open | Candra Wijaya |
Eng Hian Flandy Limpele |
15–6, 15–11 | Winner |
| 1999 | Singapore Open | Candra Wijaya |
Choong Tan Fook Lee Wan Wah |
7–15, 15–14, 12–15 | Runner-up |
| 1999 | Indonesia Open | Candra Wijaya |
Rexy Mainaky Ricky Subagja |
12–15, 8–15 | Runner-up |
| 1999 | World Grand Prix Finals | Candra Wijaya |
Ha Tae-kwon Kim Dong-moon |
15–7, 8–15, 15–11 | Winner |
| 2000 | Chinese Taipei Open | Candra Wijaya |
Cheah Soon Kit Yap Kim Hock |
15–7, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2000 | Japan Open | Candra Wijaya |
Lee Dong-soo Yoo Yong-sung |
15–6, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2000 | Indonesia Open | Candra Wijaya |
Eng Hian Flandy Limpele |
14–17, 15–8, 15–8 | Winner |
| 2000 | World Grand Prix Finals | Candra Wijaya |
Sigit Budiarto Halim Haryanto |
7–5, 8–6, 7–2 | Winner |
| 2002 | U.S. Open | Khan Malaythong |
Howard Bach Kevin Han |
11–15, 15–7, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2002 | Puerto Rico Open | Khan Malaythong |
 José Antonio Crespo Sergio Llopis |
15–6, 15–3 | Winner |
| 2003 | U.S. Open | Khan Malaythong |
Lee Sung-yuan Lin Wei-hsiang |
6–15, 15–4, 15–5 | Winner |
| 2004 | U.S. Open | Howard Bach |
Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen |
15–5, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2004 | Dutch Open | Howard Bach |
Thomas Laybourn Peter Steffensen |
15–8, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2005 | Bitburger Open | Halim Haryanto |
 Mike Beres William Milroy |
15–3, 15–6 | Winner |
| 2005 | Chinese Taipei Open | Halim Haryanto |
Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen |
15–13, 15–13 | Winner |
| 2006 | Korea Open | Candra Wijaya |
Hwang Ji-man Lee Jae-jin |
21–18, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2006 | Indonesia Open | Candra Wijaya |
Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan |
21–11, 21–16 | Winner |
| 2006 | U.S. Open | Halim Haryanto |
 Vitalij Durkin Aleksandr Nikolaenko |
21–10, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2006 | Japan Open | Candra Wijaya |
Koo Kien Keat Tan Boon Heong |
21–15, 21–14 | Winner |
| 2008 | Chinese Taipei Open | Candra Wijaya |
Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen |
14–21, 20–22 | Runner-up |
| 2009 | U.S. Open | Howard Bach |
 Jürgen Koch Peter Zauner |
21–12, 21–9 | Winner |
| 2011 | U.S. Open | Howard Bach |
Ko Sung-hyun Lee Yong-dae |
9–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | U.S. Open | Etty Tantri |
Simon Archer  Marina Andrievskaya |
7–11, 11–4, 11–6 | Winner |
| 2002 | Puerto Rico Open | Mesinee Mangkalakiri |
 Tjitte Weistra Doriana Rivera |
11–2, 11–3 | Winner |
| 2003 | U.S. Open | Etty Tantri |
Hwang Ji-man Lee Eun-woo |
15–5, 15–9 | Winner |
| 2005 | Chinese Taipei Open | Cheng Wen-hsing |
Devin Lahardi Fitriawan Vita Marissa |
17–15, 15–6 | Winner |
| 2012 | U.S. Open | Vita Marissa |
Kenichi Hayakawa Misaki Matsutomo |
21–13, 21–10 | Winner |
IBF/BWF International Challenge/Series (8 titles, 2 runners-up)
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | U.S. International | Hsieh Yu-hsing |
2–15, 2–15 | Runner-up |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | French International | Victo Wibowo |
Davis Efraim Halim Haryanto |
15–10, 15–8 | Winner |
| 2002 | Southern Pan Am Classic | Khan Malaythong |
Philippe Bourret Alexandre Tremblay |
15–4, 15–4 | Winner |
| 2005 | SCBA International | Howard Bach |
Raju Rai Khan Malaythong |
1–0 Retired | Winner |
| 2005 | U.S. International | Howard Bach |
Mike Beres William Milroy |
15–1, 15–2 | Winner |
| 2011 | Peru International | Howard Bach |
Adrian Liu Derrick Ng |
21–10, 21–9 | Winner |
| 2012 | Peru International | Howard Bach |
Adrian Liu Derrick Ng |
13–21, 21–13, 21–9 | Winner |
| 2017 | U.S. International | Vinson Chiu |
 Daniel Benz Andreas Heinz |
16–21, 21–14, 21–14 | Winner |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | USA Southern Pan Am International | Mesinee Mangkalakiri |
Philippe Bourret Denyse Julien |
11–3, 11–5 | Winner |
[27] |
| 2016 | Manhattan Beach International | Mirabelle Huang |
David Yedija Pohan Jenna Gozali |
15–21, 13–21 | Runner-up |
[28] |
IBF International (1 runner-up)
Boys' singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | German Junior | Jeffer Rosobin |
Runner-up |
[29] |
Invitational tournaments
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Copenhagen Masters | Candra Wijaya |
Simon Archer Chris Hunt |
15–13, 15–8 | Winner |
[30] |
| 1999 | Ipoh Masters | Candra Wijaya |
Flandy Limpele Eng Hian |
15–11, 15–9 | Winner |
[31] |
| 2000 | Copenhagen Masters | Halim Haryanto |
Flandy Limpele Eng Hian |
7–8, 7–5, 4–7, 7–5, 5–7 | Runner-up |
[32] |
| 2005 | Copenhagen Masters | Howard Bach |
Cai Yun Fu Haifeng |
15–12, 11–15, 15–4 | Winner |
[33] |
Performance timeline
Notes
- Based on data on the official website, Tony Gunawan represented Indonesia at the 2017 World Masters Games. However, he actually moved to the United States in 2002, the data on the official website is probably wrong.
