Ferry Sonneville

Who was Ferry Sonneville?

Ferry Sonneville was an Indonesian badminton player noted for his touch, consistency, tactical astuteness, and coolness under pressure. He won numerous international singles titles from the mid-1950s through the early 1960s and his clutch performances helped Indonesia to win its first three Thomas Cup titles consecutively in 1958, 1961, and 1964, setting the pattern for his country's continued formidable presence in world badminton. Unfortunately, Sonneville's playing career ended on a sour note in the 1967 Thomas Cup final in Jakarta when, past his prime, he was roundly booed by his countrymen after dropping singles matches in Indonesia's controversial loss to Malaysia.

After his high-level playing days ended Sonneville was elected to terms as both president of the International Badminton Federation and president of the Badminton Association of Indonesia.