Google honours Minarni Soedarjanto - Queen of all badminton queens - with a doodle

Google today, on May 10, celebrates the 75^th birthday of Minarni Soedarjanto with a beautiful doodle, whose name is still remembered with full honour in the world of sports and mainly badminton. In her Indonesian homeland, she is remembered as “Queen of all badminton queens.”

Minarni Soedarjanto was born on May 10, 1944, in Pasuruan in Eastern Java. She started competing at the age of 13 and at such an early age she went on to win the first title at the national championship in Malang in 1959.

Minarni Soedarjanto became the world champion in 1975 with the Indonesian women’s team. In the individual disciplines, she won in 1962 with Retno Koestijah the doubles classification at the Asian Games. In 1966, both defended this title while in 1970 it was enough for silver. In 1968, she and Koestijah won the All England Open Badminton Championships.

After taking retirement, she started strengthening the Indonesian Uber Team five times (in 1960, 1963, 1966, 1969 and 1975). Then she worked as a badminton coach at the national training and was active in PB PBSI organizations.

In the world of badminton, she is not only remembered as a dangerous single player. She is equally remembered for creating marvellous double or pair with Koestijah and the world still recalls their pair for their outstanding performances. “It’s hard to just leave, considering it’s been 23 years playing badminton,” she said in a 1972 interview.

 Minarni Soedarjanto won several accolades during her lifetime. Every Indonesians feel proud that the country has ever produced such a dangerous badminton player who easily used to make her opponents flinch. Unfortunately, such a great personality didn’t live long. She died on May 14, 2003, at the age of 59. She took her last breath at the Pertamina Central Hospital due to complication in liver and pneumonia. 

Google today honours and celebrates Soedarjanto’s 75^th birthday with a sporty doodle.