Kate Ludik Explained

Kate Foo Kune
Birth Name:Kate Jessica Kim Lee Foo Kune
Country:Mauritius
Birth Date:1993 3, df=yes
Birth Place:Moka, Mauritius
Residence:Paris, France
Height:1.620NaN0
Handedness:Left
Event:Women's singles & doubles
Highest Ranking:57 (WS 21 April 2016)
69 (WD with Karen Foo Kune 5 April 2012)
89 (XD with Julien Paul 12 March 2024)
Current Ranking:97 (WS)
467 (WD with Kobita Dookhee)
112 (XD with Julien Paul)
Date Of Current Ranking:16 July 2024
Bwf Id:56086DAB-A3E9-47CC-9952-E50C2AB50092

Kate Jessica Kim Lee Foo Kune (born 29 March 1993) is a badminton player from Mauritius.[1] She began playing badminton in Mauritius at age six. Her first major tournament participation was 2013 BWF World Championships in China, where she lost in the first round of women's singles to Sarah Walker of England.[2] Foo Kune represented her country at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[3] She was the flag bearer for Mauritius during the Parade of Nations.[4]

As a junior player, she won the Under-15 and Under-19 African tournaments. In 2015, she was awarded the Sportswoman of the Year award in Mauritius. In doubles, she partnered with Yeldy Marie Louison, while in mixed doubles, she partnered with Julien Paul. Her career-best ranking remains 63 as of 2016, and her best performance remains the gold at 2015 African games.

Personal life

Kate Foo Kune is the second child of Jacques and Cathy Foo Kune (née Ng), both leading mixed doubles badminton players who several championships, such as the 1985 Indian Ocean Games.[5] The pair were married in 1990 and had two children. Her sister, Karen Foo Kune, is also a professional badminton player and competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Foo Kune pursued her bachelor's degree in Sports Management while in France.[6]

The sisters were paired and played doubles in 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.[7] She is married to Czech badminton player Milan Ludík since August 2020.[8]

Professional life

Foo Kune started playing badminton at the age of six and turned professional by twelve. She first participated in a junior competition at age 12 in 2005. She had her international debut Thomas and Uber Cup Qualification for Africa in 2010 held at Uganda. She was named Sportswoman of the Year in 2015 in Mauritius. In doubles, she partnered with Yeldy Marie Louison; in mixed doubles, she partnered with Julien Paul.[3] During the early part of her career, she paired with her sister Karen Foo Kune. She finished second during her first outing in the African Badminton Cup of Nations, but a few weeks later, she won the Mauritius International Series. She went on to win the Under-15 and Under-19 African tournaments.

In September 2013, it was reported that she was one of the 14 players selected for the Road to Rio Program, a program that aimed to help African badminton players compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[9]

As of 2016, she lived in Paris, France, and joined Issy-Les-Moulineaux Badminton Club. Before this, she trained for four months in Malaysia and Leeds, England.[10]

Foo Kune was part of the Mauritius badminton squad which won the title at the 2016 Africa Continental Team Badminton Championships[11] in February 2016, which also confirms the participation of Mauritius in 2016 Uber Cup. In June 2016, Foo Kune won the 2016 European Badminton Club Championships with her club despite losing in the final to Beatriz Corrales.[12] She was the flagbearer for Mauritius during the Parade of Nations.[13] She won her first match against Wendy Chen Hsuan-Yu of Australia, but was defeated by Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand and failed to qualify for the next round.[14]

In June 2019, Foo Kune tested positive for doping during the 2019 African Badminton Championships and in November 2019, she was retrospectively disqualified from the championship, thus becoming the first-ever badminton player from Mauritius to be suspended for doping.[15] In December 2020, Foo Kune was banned for two years for the positive test, after a failed appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. As a result, Foo Kune cannot compete at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in 2021.[16]

Achievements

All African Games

Women's singles

Women's doubles

Mixed doubles

African Championships

Women's singles

YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2013National Badminton Centre, Rose Hill, Mauritius Grace Gabriel23–25, 12–21 Silver
2014Lobatse Stadium, Gaborone, Botswana Grace Gabriel21–14, 14–21, 21–17 Gold
2017John Barrable Hall, Benoni, South Africa Hadia Hosny16–21, 21–14, 21–8 Gold
2018Salle OMS Harcha Hacéne, Algiers, Algeria Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan21–16, 21–19 Gold
2019Alfred Diete-Spiff Centre, Port Harcourt, Nigeria Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan12–21, 13–21 Silver
2020Cairo Stadium Hall 2, Cairo, Egypt Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan21–19, 21–16 Gold
2024Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex, Cairo, Egypt Fadilah Mohamed Rafiwalkover Gold
In November 2019, Badminton World Federation released a statement regarding the doping test failure of Kate Foo Kune in this championships and decided to disqualify her result.[15]

Women's doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2011Marrakesh, Morocco Karen Foo Kune Michelle Edwards
Annari Viljoen
21–19, 9–21, 8–21 Bronze
2014Lobatse Stadium,
Gaborone, Botswana
Yeldy Louison Juliette Ah-Wan
Allisen Camille
21–17, 22–20 Gold

Mixed doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2017John Barrable Hall,
Benoni, South Africa
Julien Paul Andries Malan
Jennifer Fry
19–21, 21–19, 19-21 Silver
2024Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex, Cairo, Egypt Julien Paul Koceila Mammeri
Tanina Mammeri
6–21, 11–21 Bronze

BWF International Challenge/Series (13 titles, 11 runners-up)

Women's singles

YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
2013Mauritius International Grace Gabriel21–18, 16–21, 24–22 Winner
2014Morocco International Lianne Tan11–7, 9–11, 9–11, 8–11 Runner-up
2014Zambia International Grace Gabriel21–16, 21–17 Winner
2015Nigeria International Grace Gabriel21–14, 11–21, 12–21 Runner-up
2015Zambia International Sorayya Aghaei15–21, 1–0 retired Winner
2015Botswana International Laura Sarosi10–21, 14–21 Runner-up
2016Uganda International Telma Santos10–21, 12–21 Runner-up
2016Norwegian International Yap Rui Chen13–21, 8–21 Runner-up
2017Zambia International Ksenia Polikarpova14–21, 21–16, 21–18 Winner
2017South Africa International Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka10–21, 10–21 Runner-up
2018Uganda International Hadia Hosny21–19, 21–10 Winner
2019South Africa International Katharina Fink21–16, 21–14 Winner
2023Brazil International Yasmine Hamza19–21, 21–15, 25–23 Winner
2023South Africa International Nour Ahmed Youssri21–16, 21–14 Winner
2023French Guiana International Chequeda De Boulet21–8, 21–4 Winner

Women's doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2014Mauritius International Yeldy Louison Annika Horbach
Maria Masinipeni
12–21, 12–21 Runner-up
2014Zambia International Grace Gabriel Michelle Butler-Emmett
Elme de Villiers
17–21, 21–19, 17–21 Runner-up

Mixed doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2014Hatzor International Florent Riancho Gennadiy Natarov
Yuliya Kazarinova
6–11, 7–11, 11–8, 10–11 Runner-up
2014Zambia International Julien Paul Ali Ahmed El-Khateeb
Doha Hany
21–18, 21–14 Winner
2017Brazil International Jonathan Persson Hugo Arthuso
Fabiana Silva
11–21, 19–21 Runner-up
2017Mauritius International Jonathan Persson Yogendran Khrishnan
Prajakta Sawant
7–21, 17–21 Runner-up
2017Zambia International Jonathan Persson Misha Zilberman
Svetlana Zilberman
Walkover Winner
2018Uganda International Jonathan Persson Julien Paul
Aurélie Allet
21–11, 21–18 Winner
2023Botswana International Julien Paul Melvin Appiah
Vilina Appiah
21–10, 21–15 Winner

BWF International Challenge tournament

BWF International Series tournament

BWF Future Series tournament

Career overview

SinglesPlayedWinsLossesBalance
Total329199129+70
Current year (2020)981+7
Women's doublesPlayedWinsLossesBalance
Total1005644+12
Current year (2020)321+1
Mixed doublesPlayedWinsLossesBalance
Total844440+4
Current year (2020)0000

* Statistics were last updated on 18 February 2020.[17]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Athlete Kate Foo Kune . www.rio2016.com . Rio 2016 . 7 August 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160806124417/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/kate-foo-kune . 6 August 2016 .
  2. Web site: Badminton: Kate Foo Kune s’incline au 1er tour. Le Mauricien. 7 October 2016.
  3. Web site: Players: Kate Foo Kune . bwfbadminton.com . Badminton World Federation. 7 August 2016.
  4. News: Porte-drapeau de la délégation Mauricienne : Kate Foo Kune, l'histoire retiendra. Kate Foo Kune made history, will be the flag bearer for the Mauritian delegation. fr. Le Mauricien. 23 July 2016. 24 July 2016.
  5. News: Korimdun. Naushad. Famille Foo Kune: quand le badminton unit et construit. 7 October 2016. Defi Media. 28 December 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161010080532/http://sport.defimedia.info/2015/12/28/famille-foo-kune-quand-le-badminton-unit-et-construit/. 10 October 2016.
  6. News: Olympics 2016: Kate Foo Kune And Badminton, A Family Story. Visit Mauritius. 1 November 2016. 26 July 2016.
  7. News: Mauritian shuttler Foo Kune owns her life to Badminton. Sports Campus. 1 November 2016. 16 August 2016.
  8. Web site: A badminton wedding: Kate Foo Kune & Milan Ludík . Badminton Europe . 15 February 2023.
  9. Web site: Newsletter du Mois de Septembre 2013 Road to Rio. Africa Badminton. Badminton Confederation Africa. 22 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170305001935/http://www.africa-badminton.com/A%20NEWSLETTERSARCHIVES/nl201309.htm. 5 March 2017. dead.
  10. News: Hearn. Don. Kate Foo Kune – Beating the odds from ‘the middle of nowhere’. 7 October 2016. Badzine. 29 August 2013.
  11. Web site: SA, Mauritius Crowned Champions: Africa Continental Team Championships finals. Badminton World Federation. 7 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161018193300/http://bwfbadminton.com/2016/02/21/sa-mauritius-crowned-champions-africa-continental-team-championships-finals/. 18 October 2016. dead. dmy-all.
  12. News: Phelan. Mark. Corvee inspires Issy to European glory. 7 October 2016. Badminton Europe. 26 June 2016.
  13. Web site: The Flagbearers for the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony. 2016-08-16. 27 August 2016.
  14. News: Without badminton I wouldn't exist, says Mauritian shuttler Foo Kune. https://web.archive.org/web/20160824073231/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-08/16/c_135601302.htm. dead. 24 August 2016. 7 October 2016. Xinhua.
  15. Web site: BWF Statement on Mauritius Badminton Player Kate Jessica Foo Kune . Badminton World Federation . 19 November 2019.
  16. News: African badminton champion Kate Foo Kune handed two-year doping ban. BBC Sport. 16 December 2020. 16 December 2020.
  17. Web site: Kate Foo Kune: Career overview. bwf.tournamentsoftware.com . . 21 February 2020.