Kevin Cordón
Encyclopedia
Kevin Haroldo Cordón Buezo (born November 28, 1986) is a Guatemala
n badminton
player.
Born in La Unión
, Zacapa
, Cordón was named after former England international footballer Kevin Keegan
, of whom his father was a fan. He became a badminton player as he thought it would give him a better chance of one day becoming an Olympian
than if he played a different sport, in spite of being the first of his family to practice badminton, and the sport not being popular in Guatemala. He began playing at the age of 11 and in 1998 he was a part of the Zacapa Department's youth team.
After winning the Silver Medal at the 2007 Pan American Games
, Cordón qualified to the 2008 Olympic Games
, and was selected as the flag bearer of his nation's Olympic team. At the Beijing Games he lost against the #3 seeded player, Bao Chunlai
.
At the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
, he won three Gold Medals: singles, doubles, and team events, being the Guatemalan athlete with the most medals won during the games.
Cordón then competed at the 2011 BWF World Championships
in London where he reached the quarterfinals to face the tournament's top seeded Lee Chong Wei
. There he lost to the Malaysian player in two straight sets.
Cordón was selected as the flag bearer for the Guatemalan
team at the opening ceremony
of the 2011 Pan American Games
, and was also the top seeded player in the men's singles event. On 20 October 2011 he won his first Pan-American Games Gold Medal by beating Cuban competitor Osleni Guerrero in the final. Cordón did not lose one set in the tournament.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
player.
Born in La Unión
La Unión, Zacapa
La Unión is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Zacapa.- External Links :*...
, Zacapa
Zacapa
Zacapa is a city in eastern Guatemala, along the Río Grande de Zacapa. It is renowned locally for its manual crafting of cigars, hard dry cheese and a flavored cake made with said cheese ....
, Cordón was named after former England international footballer Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, of whom his father was a fan. He became a badminton player as he thought it would give him a better chance of one day becoming an Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
than if he played a different sport, in spite of being the first of his family to practice badminton, and the sport not being popular in Guatemala. He began playing at the age of 11 and in 1998 he was a part of the Zacapa Department's youth team.
After winning the Silver Medal at the 2007 Pan American Games
Badminton at the 2007 Pan American Games
Badminton at the 2007 Pan American Games was played at the Riocentro Sports Complex, Pavilion 4B, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The competition was held between July 14 and July 19.-Participating nations:...
, Cordón qualified to the 2008 Olympic Games
Badminton at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Badminton competitions at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics were held from August 9 to August 17 at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium.-Qualification:The qualification for 2008 Summer Olympics began from May 2007 until April 2008...
, and was selected as the flag bearer of his nation's Olympic team. At the Beijing Games he lost against the #3 seeded player, Bao Chunlai
Bao Chunlai
Bao Chunlai is a male, left-handed badminton player from the People's Republic of China.-Career:The tall, powerful Bao has ranked among the world's leading singles player during the first decade of the 21st century...
.
At the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
Badminton at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
The Badminton competition at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games was being held in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.The tournament was scheduled to be held from 18–23 July at the Raymond Dalmau Coliseum in Porta del Sol.-Men's events:...
, he won three Gold Medals: singles, doubles, and team events, being the Guatemalan athlete with the most medals won during the games.
Cordón then competed at the 2011 BWF World Championships
2011 BWF World Championships
The 2011 BWF World Championships was the 19th tournament of the BWF World Championships, a global tournament in the sport of badminton. It was held at Wembley Arena in London, England, from August 8 to August 14, 2011....
in London where he reached the quarterfinals to face the tournament's top seeded Lee Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei
Datuk Lee Chong Wei is a professional badminton player from Malaysia who resides in Bukit Mertajam. Lee won the silver medal in the 2008 Olympic Games, thus becoming the first Malaysian to reach the final of the men's singles event and ending Malaysia's Olympic medal drought since the 1996 Games...
. There he lost to the Malaysian player in two straight sets.
Cordón was selected as the flag bearer for the Guatemalan
Guatemala at the 2011 Pan American Games
Guatemala competed at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico from October 14 to 30, 2011. Guatemala sent 139 athletes in 28 sports.-Medalists:|align="left" valign="top"|- Archery:Guatemala qualified 1 male archer.Men- Athletics:...
team at the opening ceremony
2011 Pan American Games opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2011 Pan American Games took place on October 14, 2011, beginning at 20:00 CDT at Omnilife Stadium in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico...
of the 2011 Pan American Games
2011 Pan American Games
The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, Puerto Vallarta, Lagos de Moreno and Tapalpa...
, and was also the top seeded player in the men's singles event. On 20 October 2011 he won his first Pan-American Games Gold Medal by beating Cuban competitor Osleni Guerrero in the final. Cordón did not lose one set in the tournament.