| Birth name | Rajiv Kumar Rai |
|---|---|
| Birth date | February 3, 1983 (age 43) |
| Birth place | Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Country | United States |
| Handedness | Right |
| Bwfbadminton id | 51143 |
| Bwf id | E1BB3131-CEF6-4C16-91B9-5488929C0C7E |
Rajiv Kumar Rai (born February 3, 1983) is an American badminton player of Indian descent.[1] He won a bronze medal, along with his partner Mesinee Mangkalakiri, in the mixed doubles at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.[2] Rai is also a member of Orange County Badminton Club in Anaheim, California, and is coached and trained by former Olympic doubles champion Tony Gunawan (2000).[3]
Rai qualified for the men's singles at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, after he was ranked sixty-eighth in the world, and awarded an entry as one of the top 38 seeded players by the Badminton World Federation. He received a bye for the second preliminary round before losing out to Finland's Ville Lång, with a score of 9–21 and 16–21.[4][5]
Rai is a former coach of Bellevue Badminton Club, and also, an athlete director for the U.S. national badminton team.[2] He, along with fellow Olympian Bob Malaythong, currently coaches the top junior players in the United States at Synergy Badminton Academy in Menlo Park, California.
Achievements
Pan American Games
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | UASD Pavilion, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Mesinee Mangkalakiri | Philippe Bourret Denyse Julien | 8–15, 7–15 | Bronze |
Pan Am Championships
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Bridgetown, Barbados | Andrew Dabeka | 2–15, 9–15 | Bronze |
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Bridgetown, Barbados | Bob Malaythong | Mike Beres William Milroy | 11–15, 15–8, 15–6 | Gold |
BWF Grand Prix
The BWF Grand Prix has two level such as Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It is a series of badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF) since 2007.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | U.S Open | Halim Haryanto | Howard Bach Bob Malaythong | 14–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
- BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
- BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Nigeria International | Alexandre Paixão | 13–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2008 | Giraldilla International | Yuhan Tan | 19–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2007 | Hellas International | Marc Zwiebler | 14–21, 16–21 | Runner-up |
| 2007 | Carebaco International | Brice Leverdez | 12–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 2004 | Carebaco International | Andrew Dabeka | 9–15, 7–15 | Runner-up |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Southern Carolina International | Bob Malaythong | Howard Bach Tony Gunawan | 0–1 Retired | Runner-up |
| 2004 | Carebaco International | Bob Malaythong | Alexandre Tremblay Tom Lucas Picher | 15–5, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2004 | New Zealand International | Bob Malaythong | Shuichi Nakao Shuichi Sakamoto | 3–15, 15–10, 12–15 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Southern Carolina International | Mesinee Mangkalakiri | Philippe Bourret Denyse Julien | 6–15, 9–15 | Runner-up |
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF International Series tournament
- BWF Future Series tournament
References
- ^ "Raju Rai". Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
- ^ "USA Badminton Announces New Board of Directors". Team USA. April 14, 2009. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
- ^ Rao, Sam (August 5, 2008). "Another Indian-American books berth". The Indian Express. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
- ^ "Men's Singles Round of 32". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
- ^ Miller, Jeff (August 11, 2008). "O.C. badminton drought continues with Rai loss". The Orange County Register. Retrieved February 23, 2013.