Indonesian mixed doubles legend Liliyana Natsir is the latest inductee into the BWF Hall of Fame. The Olympic champion will be officially recognised at a ceremony during the EAST VENTURES Indonesia Open 2022 on Saturday 18 June.
Natsir won four mixed doubles World Championships titles with two different partners and achieved a career high at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games claiming mixed doubles gold.
Liliyana Natsir (right) and partner Tontowi Ahmad with their gold medals at Rio 2016.
BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer lauded Natsir’s achievements.
“It is a rare honour for an athlete to be named to the BWF Hall of Fame, and Liliyana Natsir richly deserves this accolade,” Høyer said.
“She was among the very best mixed doubles players throughout her career. With an Olympic gold and silver, and four World Championships gold medals, Liliyana built a stellar record.
“She was a delight to watch as she somehow made a very difficult art look easy. I congratulate her on making the BWF Hall of Fame, and I’m sure that she will continue to inspire many more generations.”
Liliyana Natsir
With her unique, unfussy style and tremendous record over more than a decade, Liliyana Natsir is a standout figure of world badminton. Natsir’s first major title was World Championships gold in 2005 with the technically gifted Nova Widianto. The duo had a string of successes, winning the World Cup and the Asian Championships the next year, another World Championships gold in 2007, before winning silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Natsir was then paired with Tontowi Ahmad and the two quickly established a strong partnership. Despite the change in style of her partner, Natsir adapted well. The new partnership won bronze at the 2011 World Championships before eclipsing that at the World Championships in 2013, taking gold from two match points down in the final, and the World Championships in 2017. Gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016, on top of three straight All England crowns, established Natsir in the pantheon of greats.
Liliyana will be recognised at a ceremony at the Istora Senayan on Saturday 18 June.
- 11am Lilyana Natsir Press Conference
- 11.30am BWF Hall of Fame Ceremony
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