Petr Koukal (; born 14 December 1985) is a
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
professional
badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
player.
Biography
Koukal started playing badminton in 1993, at a club owned by his father in
Hořovice
Hořovice (; german: Horschowitz, Horvitz, Horowitz) is a town in Beroun District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,900 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Hořovice is made up of only one administrative part.
His ...
, and made his debut in the international tournament in 2000.
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
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
partnered with Markéta Koudelková. Until 2016, he has collected 9 national titles, where 8 of them won in the men's singles event.
Koukal first competed at the
Summer Olympics in
Beijing
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Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
.
In 2010, Koukal was diagnosed with
testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility.
Risk factors include an ...
and underwent a successful therapy.
He was awarded 2011 Fair Play Award, in
Brno, Czech Republic.
In July 2012,
Czech Olympic Committee
The Czech Olympic Committee ( cs, Český olympijský výbor) is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) representing the Czech Republic.
History
The Czech Olympic Committee is one of the oldest NOCs in the world, having been founded in 1899 as Bo ...
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.
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, Czech biathlete Gabriela Soukalová became his spouse; they divorced in late 2020. He made his third appearance at the Badminton at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Summer Olympics through the Tripartite Commission Invitation.
Achievements
BWF Grand Prix
The BWF Grand Prix has two levels: BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold, 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''
: BWF Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix, BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
: BWF Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix, BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series
''Men's Singles''
''Mixed Doubles''
: BWF International Challenge tournament
: BWF International Series tournament
Other
*2006 - Spanish International: Men's singles (quarter final)
*2006 - Austrian International: Men's singles (quarter final)
*2006 - Austrian International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
*2005 - Hungarian International: Men's singles (semi final)
*2005 - Babolat Slovak International: Men's singles (semi final)
*2005 - Babolat Slovak International: Mixed doubles (semi final)
*2003 - Slovenia International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
*2003 - Slovak International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
*2003 - Czech International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
*2003 - Sofiisk Imoti JSC Bulgarian International: Mixed doubles (semi final)
*2002 - Slovak International: Mixed doubles (quarter final)
References
External links
Personal WebsiteBWF player profile
1985 births
Living people
People from Hořovice
Czech male badminton players
Badminton players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Badminton players at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Badminton players at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Olympic badminton players of the Czech Republic
Badminton players at the 2015 European Games
European Games competitors for the Czech Republic
Sportspeople from the Central Bohemian Region
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