Ippei Kojima

is a former Japanese badminton player who won a record eight Japanese national men's singles titles and some major international titles in both singles and doubles between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s.

Career

His game was marked by exceptional foot speed, great tenacity, and power surprising for a man who was about five feet (1.524 meters) tall. Kojima is the first of only two Japanese players to have won men's singles at the prestigious Danish Open (1970). He also shared the Danish Open men's doubles title, with different partners, in 1968 and 1969. In 1970 he reached the final of all three events at both the U.S. and Canadian Open championships, winning men's doubles in the U.S. and both singles and mixed doubles in Canada. In 1971 he won men's singles at the Singapore Open and over a select international field at the Flare Square Invitational, a one-time-only event held in conjunction with the Calgary (Canada) Stampede, where he defeated Denmark's Svend Pri in the final. Perhaps the most notable matches of Kojima's career were a series of close but losing singles efforts against the iconic Rudy Hartono in Thomas Cup, the All-Englands, and other major venues in 1970 and 1971.

Achievements

Asian Games

Men's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1970	Kittikachorn Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand	Template:Flagicon Muljadi	15–17, 15–11, 10–15	Bronze Bronze

International tournaments

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
1968	Malaysia Open	Template:Flagicon Tan Aik Huang	4–15, 15–13, 6–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up
1968	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Tan Aik Huang	12–15, 4–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up
1970	Denmark Open	Template:Flagicon Erland Kops	15–3, 15–10	Template:Gold1 Winner
1970	US Open	Template:Flagicon Junji Honma	15–13, 8–15, 8–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up
1970	Canada Open	Template:Flagicon Junji Honma	15–11, 9–15, 15–6	Template:Gold1 Winner
1971	Denmark Open	Template:Flagicon Rudy Hartono	18–14, 14–15, 11–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up
1971	Canada Open	Template:Flagicon Rudy Hartono	7–15, 2–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up
1971	Flare Square Invitational	Template:Flagicon Svend Pri	15–3, 15–4	Template:Gold1 Winner
1971	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Nunung Murdjianto	15–3, 18–16	Template:Gold1 Winner
1972	Denmark Open	Template:Flagicon Svend Pri	9–15, 5–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up

Men's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1968	Malaysia Open	Template:Flagicon Issei Nichino	Template:Flagicon Tan Yee Khan Template:Flagicon Ng Boon Bee	15–11, 9–15, 9–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up
1968	Denmark Open	Template:Flagicon Issei Nichino	Template:Flagicon Henning Borch Template:Flagicon Erland Kops	17–15, 17–16	Template:Gold1 Winner
1969	Denmark Open	Template:Flagicon Bjarne Andersen	Template:Flagicon Tan Aik Huang Template:Flagicon Tan Aik Mong	15–9, 6–15, 15–7	Template:Gold1 Winner
1969	US Open	Template:Flagicon Channarong Ratanaseangsuang	Template:Flagicon Punch Gunalan Template:Flagicon Ng Boon Bee	3–15, 7–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up
1970	Canada Open	Template:Flagicon Junji Honma	Template:Flagicon Channarong Ratanaseangsuang Template:Flagicon Raphi Kanchanaraphi	10–15, 9–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up
1970	US Open	Template:Flagicon Junji Honma	Template:Flagicon Don Paup Template:Flagicon Jim Poole	17-14, 15–2	Template:Gold1 Winner
1971	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Junji Honma	Template:Flagicon Ade Chandra Template:Flagicon Christian Hadinata	10–15, 8–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1970	US Open	Template:Flagicon Machiko Aizawa	Template:Flagicon Paul Whetnall Template:Flagicon Margaret Boxall	8–15, 2–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up
1970	Canada Open	Template:Flagicon Susan Whetnall	Template:Flagicon Paul Whetnall Template:Flagicon Margaret Boxall	12–15, 15–5, 15–13	Template:Gold1 Winner

External links

• Template:Olympedia
• Template:Olympics.com

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