Erland Kops

Erland Kops (14 January 1937 – 18 February 2017)[1] was a badminton player from Denmark who won numerous major international singles and doubles titles from the late 1950s to the early 1970s.

Erland Kops
Erland Kops in 1968
Personal information
Country Denmark
Born(1937-01-14)14 January 1937
Died18 February 2017(2017-02-18) (aged 80)
EventMen's singles & Men's doubles

Early life

Kops was born in 1937. His uncles were the boxers Ebbe and Poul Kops who both competed at the Summer Olympics. Erland Kops began to play badminton in Københavns Badminton Klub in 1948. He worked for East Asiatic Company in Thailand from 1958 to 1960.[2]

Career

In 1958, Erland Kops brought an end to eight years of dominance of by Malayan players at the All England Badminton Championships by winning its Men's Singles event. Kops was also among the first Westerners to win major singles titles in the Far East.[3] He combined abundant speed, power, and stamina with impressive shot-making virtuosity. Despite some disappointing results in the late rounds of Thomas Cup (men's international team) competition, Kops was clearly the dominant tournament men's singles player and one of the dominant men's doubles players of his era.[4]

He is one of the most successful players ever in the All England Open Badminton Championships, with 11 titles between 1958 and 1967 - 7 of them in men's singles and 4 in men's doubles - breaking the Irish player Frank Devlin´s record of six titles.[5][6]

Erland Kops also won 5 times the Danish Championships in men's singles and 4 in men's doubles. In the Nordic Championships, Erland Kops obtained the title 5 times in the men's singles category, 3 times in men's doubles and 2 more times in mixed doubles.[6]

Kops played 44 national matches for Denmark from 1957-1972.[6]

With no surprise, Erland Kops was among the first group of badminton players inducted into the World Badminton Hall of Fame in 1997,[7] and was the first player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Badminton Europe Confederation (BEC) in 2013.[8][9]

As a recognition for his sporting achievements, Erland Kops has been honoured with a Knighthood from the Danish Queen, an Honorary Membership of The Danish Sports Federation, an Honorary Membership of Badminton Denmark, the Herbert Scheele Trophy from the Badminton World Federation, and being inducted to the Hall of Fame of Danish Sport, as well as being elected the second best Sportsman in Denmark of the 20th century.[8]

All England performance

In 1957, Erland Kops lost the final to the Malayan player Eddie B. Choong, but one year later he defeated Finn Kobberø in the final. In 1959, Tan Joe Hok - from Indonesia - won the championship, then, Erland Kops won it from 1960 to 1963. Finally, Erland Kops won it again two more times in 1965 and 1967. In men´s doubles, Erland Kops won the competition teaming up with Poul-Erik Nielsen in 1958 and together with Henning Borch from 1967 to 1969. Kops lost three finals in men's doubles - in 1961 and 1964 together with Poul-Erik Nielsen and against Jorgen Hammergaard / Finn Kobberø, and in 1965 with the Malaysian Oon Choong Jin and against Ng Boon Bee and Tan Yee Khan.

Achievements

International tournaments

Men's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
1957 All England Eddy Choong 9–15, 3–15 Runner-up
1958 All England Finn Kobberø 15–10, 8–15, 15–8 Winner
1958 Dutch Open Ferry Sonneville 3–15, 8–15 Runner-up
1960 All England Charoen Wattanasin 15–1, 11–15, 15–6 Winner
1960 Swiss Open Jimmy Lim 15–5, 15–4 Winner
1961 Canada Open Robert McCoig 15–2, 15–12 Winner
1961 All England Finn Kobberø 15–10, 15–6 Winner
1961 French Open Ferry Sonneville 15–12, 15–10 Winner
1962 Swedish Open Winner
1962 All England Charoen Wattanasin 15–10, 15–5 Winner
1962 German Open Ferry Sonneville 15–10, 14–15, 15–3 Winner
1963 U.S. Open Channarong Ratanaseangsuang Winner
1963 Canada Open Channarong Ratanaseangsuang 15–12, 15–12 Winner
1963 All England Channarong Ratanaseangsuang 15–7, 15–7 Winner
1963 German Open Henning Borch 15–2, 15–3 Winner
1964 Swedish Open Winner
1964 German Open Knud Aage Nielsen 15–7, 15–13 Winner
1965 All England Tan Aik Huang 15–13, 15–12 Winner
1965 U.S. Open Channarong Ratanaseangsuang Winner
1965 Mexico International Channarong Ratanaseangsuang Winner
1966 German Open Knud Aage Nielsen Winner
1966 London Championships Svend Pri 0–15, 7–15 Runner-up
1966 French Open Ang Tjin Siang 6–15, 15–6, 7–15 Runner-up
1967 All England Tan Aik Huang 15–12, 15–10 Winner
1967 Singapore Open Tan Aik Huang 11–15, 8–15 Runner-up
1967 U.S. Open Suresh Goel 15–2, 15–12 Winner
1967 Dutch Open Tom Bacher 15–8, 15–9 Winner
1967 Malaysia Open Darmadi 15–10, 15–3 Winner
1967 Norwegian International Winner
1967 German Open Wolfgang Bochow 17–14, 15–10 Winner
1967 Canada Open Wayne Macdonnell 15–11, 15–11 Winner
1968 German Open Tan Aik Huang 9–15, 18–17, 15–5 Winner
1968 Denmark Open Tan Aik Huang Runner-up
1969 Dutch Open Oon Chong Hau 12–15, 4–15 Runner-up
1970 Denmark Open Ippei Kojima 3–15, 10–15 Runner-up
1971 Norwegian International Svend Pri 10–15, 10–15 Runner-up

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1958 All England Poul-Erik Nielsen Finn Kobberø
Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen		 15–7, 11–15, 15–8 Winner
1958 Dutch Open Jørgen Hageman Oon Chong Jin
Arne Rasmussen		 15–11, 15–4 Winner
1959 Malaysia Open Eddy Choong Teh Kew San
Lim Say Hup		 11–15, 9–15 Runner-up
1960 Swiss Open Knud E. Jepsen Jimmy Lim
Randy Oey		 15–2, 15–11 Winner
1961 Canada Open Robert McCoig Finn Kobberø
Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen		 8–15, 10–15 Runner-up
1961 French Open Finn Kobberø Oon Chong Teik
Yeoh Kean Hua		 15–6, 15–10 Winner
1962 German Open Poul-Erik Nielsen Finn Kobberø
Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen		 7–15, 13–15 Runner-up
1963 U.S. Open Robert McCoig Joe Alston
T. Wynn Rogers		 Winner
1963 Canada Open Robert McCoig Sangob Rattanusorn
Channarong Ratanaseangsuang		 15–13, 11–15, 15–13 Winner
1963 German Open Poul-Erik Nielsen Henning Borch
Jørgen Mortensen		 15–5, 15–3 Winner
1964 German Open Poul-Erik Nielsen Finn Kobberø
Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen		 15–3, 15–6 Winner
1964 All England Poul-Erik Nielsen Finn Kobberø
Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen		 6–15, 3–15 Runner-up
1965 All England Oon Chong Jin Tan Yee Khan
Ng Boon Bee		 7–15, 5–15 Runner-up
1965 Mexico International Don Paup Winner
1966 London Championships Svend Pri D.O. Fulton
Roger Mills		 9–15, 15–7, 15–12 Winner
1967 Swedish Open Henning Borch Per Walsøe
Svend Pri		 Runner-up
1967 All England Henning Borch Per Walsøe
Svend Pri		 15–8, 15–12 Winner
1967 U.S. Open Joe Alston Winner
1967 Dutch Open Tom Bacher Alan Parsons
William Kerr		 15–4, 15–10 Winner
1967 Norwegian International Elo Hansen Winner
1967 German Open Per Walsøe Wolfgang Bochow
Friedhelm Wulff		 15–9, 9–15, 0–15 Runner-up
1967 Canada Open Rolf Paterson Colin Beacom
Roger Mills		 6–15, 7–15 Runner-up
1968 All England Henning Borch Tan Yee Khan
Ng Boon Bee		 15–6, 15–4 Winner
1969 Swedish Open Svend Pri Tony Jordan
Roger Mills		 15–13, 8–15, 15–11 Winner
1969 All England Henning Borch David Eddy
Roger Powell		 13–15, 15–10, 15–9 Winner
1969 Dutch Open Bjarne Andersen Oon Chong Hau
Ho Khim Kooi		 15–12, 5–15, 15–5 Winner
1970 Denmark Open Henning Borch Per Walsøe
Svend Pri		 Winner
1971 Dutch Open Svend Pri Derek Talbot
Elliot Stuart		 15–11, 15–5 Winner
1972 Swedish Open Svend Pri Per Walsøe
Poul Petersen		 15–4, 9–15, 15–12 Winner
1972 Dutch Open Svend Pri Winner

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1957 German Open Agnete Friis Eddy Choong
Barbara Carpenter		 15–6, 15–10 Winner
1960 Swiss Open Annette Schmidt Winner
1961 French Open Hanne Jensen Bengt Nielsen
Bitten Nielsen		 15–6, 15–10 Winner
1963 Canada Open Claire Lovett Claude Lamere
Robert McCoig		 15–7, 7–15, 9–15 Runner-up
1966 French Open Lene Køppen Winner
1969 U.S. Open Pernille Mølgaard Hansen Don Paup
Helen Tibbetts		 15–6, 13–15, 15–7 Winner
1971 Norwegian International Lene Køppen Gert Perneklo
Eva Twedberg		 15–3, 5–15, 10–15 Runner-up
Rank Event Date Venue
Danish National Championships
1 Singles 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967 Copenhagen
Men's doubles 1961, 1965, 1968, 1969
Nordic Championships
1 Singles 1964, 1965, 1966, 1966, 1967 Various locations
Men's doubles 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971
Mixed doubles 1965, 1967
European Championships
2 Men's doubles 1970 Port Talbot, WAL
3 Men's doubles 1972 Karlskrona, SWE
Open Championships
1 Singles 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967 All England Open
Men's doubles 1958, 1967, 1968, 1969
2 Singles 1957 All England Open
Men's doubles 1961, 1964, 1965
1 Singles 1961 French Open
Men's doubles 1961
Mixed doubles 1966
1 Singles 1961, 1963, 1967 Canadian Open
Men's doubles 1963
Mixed doubles 1963
1 Singles 1968 Denmark Open
Men's doubles 1970
1 Singles 1967, 1968 Dutch Open
Men's doubles 1958, 1967
1 Singles 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968 German Open
Men's doubles 1963, 1964
1 Singles 1967 Malaysia Open
1 Singles 1965 Mexican Open
Men's doubles 1965
1 Singles 1962 Mexico City International
Men's doubles 1962
1 Singles 1968 Norwegian International
Men's doubles 1968
1 Singles 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 Swedish Open
Men's doubles 1965, 1968
1 Singles 1960 Swiss Open
Men's doubles 1960
Mixed doubles 1960
1 Singles 1963, 1965, 1967 U.S. Open
Men's doubles 1963, 1967
Mixed doubles 1969
Other National Championships
1 Singles 1960 All-India Championships
Men's doubles 1960
1 Singles 1959 Thailand National Championships

References
  1. "Danish badminton great Erland Kops dies at age 80". ESPN (via Associated Press). 18 February 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  2. "Stjernerne fra i går: Erland Kops". badminton.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  3. Herbert Scheele ed., The International Badminton Federation Handbook for 1971 (Canterbury, Kent, England: J. A. Jennings Ltd. 1971) 200, 303.
  4. Pat Davis, The Guinness Book of Badminton (Enfield, Middlesex, England: Guinness Superlatives Ltd., 1983) 123, 155,156.
  5. Herbert Scheele ed., The International Badminton Federation Handbook for 1971 (Canterbury, Kent, England: J. A. Jennings Ltd. 1971) 163-165.
  6. "Badminton Denmark". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  7. "bwfbadminton.org". bwfbadminton. Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  8. "Hall of Fame of the Badminton Europe Confederation". Badminton Europe Confederation. Badminton Europe Confederation. 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  9. Sukumar, Dev (21 April 2013). "Sportkeeda Badminton". Sportkeeda. Sportkeeda. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
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