Petr Koukal (badminton)

{{About|badminton player|ice hockey player|Petr Koukal (ice hockey)}}

{{Infobox badminton player

| image = Petr Koukal 2015.JPG

| name = Petr Koukal

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|12|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hořovice, Czech Republic

| height = 1.92m

| weight = 90kg

| event = Men's singles

| country = {{CZE}}

| years_active =

| handedness =

| coach =

| highest_ranking = 38

| date_of_highest_ranking = 23 Sep 2010

| current_ranking = 87

| date_of_current_ranking = 17 Nov 2016

| played =

| titles =

| bwfbadminton_id = 15585

| bwf_id = E4E5A1C6-5DF0-44FD-8033-47F046886869

}}

Petr Koukal ({{IPA|cs|ˈpɛtr̩ ˈkoukal}}; born 14 December 1985) is a Czech professional badminton player.

Biography

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.{{cite web |title=Players: Petr Koukal |url=http://bwfbadminton.com/player/15585/petr-koukal |publisher=Badminton World Federation |access-date=22 March 2018}} 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.{{cite web |title=Czech Republic: Cesky Badmintonovy Svaz |url=http://www.badmintonpeople.com/Clubs/CommonDrive/Components/GetWWWFile.aspx?fileID=62701 |publisher=Badminton Europe |access-date=22 March 2018}} Koukal first competed at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.{{cite news |title=Petr Koukal: "When I think back to carrying the flag in London, I still get goosebumps." |url=https://www.olympic.org/news/petr-koukal-when-i-think-back-to-carrying-the-flag-in-london-i-still-get-goosebumps |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=22 March 2018}}

In 2010, Koukal was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent a successful therapy.{{cite news |title=Badminton: Petr Koukal overcomes cancer to compete at London 2012 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/other-events/badminton-petr-koukal-overcomes-cancer-to-compete-at-london-2012-7987210.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/other-events/badminton-petr-koukal-overcomes-cancer-to-compete-at-london-2012-7987210.html |archive-date=2022-05-26 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Independent |access-date=22 March 2018}} He was awarded 2011 Fair Play Award, in Brno, Czech Republic. 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.{{cite news| author = Michal Osoba | date = 2012-07-03 | title=Odtajněno: českou vlajku v Londýně ponese badmintonista Koukal | language = cs | url=http://www.sport.cz/ostatni/loh/clanek/429507-odtajneno-ceskou-vlajku-v-londyne-ponese-badmintonista-koukal.html#hp-artcl | work = Právo | access-date=2012-07-03}}{{cite news | date = 2012-07-03 | title = Badmintonista Koukal porazil rakovinu a bude vlajkonošem olympijské výpravy | language = cs | url = http://www.olympic.cz/cz/novinky/7260/badmintonista-koukal-porazil-rakovinu-a-bude-vlajkonosem-olympijske-vypravy | work = Czech Olympic Committee | access-date = 2012-07-03 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120711002244/http://www.olympic.cz/cz/novinky/7260/badmintonista-koukal-porazil-rakovinu-a-bude-vlajkonosem-olympijske-vypravy | archive-date = 2012-07-11 }}

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 ;{{cite news |title=Sportovní svatba roku: Koukal a Soukalová se tajně vzali |url=https://sport.idnes.cz/gabriela-soukalova-petr-koukal-svatba-dxa-/biatlon.aspx?c=A160513_154600_biatlon_tny |publisher=iDNES.cz |access-date=22 March 2018 |language=cs}} they divorced in late 2020. He made his third appearance at the Summer Olympics through the Tripartite Commission Invitation.{{cite news |title=Trio Get Rio 2016 Tripartite Places |url=http://olympics.bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2016/05/25/trio-get-rio-2016-tripartite-places/ |publisher=Badminton World Federation |access-date=22 March 2018}}

Achievements

= BWF Grand Prix =

The BWF Grand Prix has two levels: Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It is a series of badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) since 2007.

Men's Singles

class="sortable wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"

!|Year

!|Tournament

!|Opponent

!|Score

!|Result

style="background:#D4F1C5"

|align="center"|2014

|align="left"|U.S. Grand Prix

|align="left"|{{flagicon|TPE}} Hsu Jen-hao

|align="left"|19–21, 21–19, 8–21