Roy Díaz González Explained

Roy Díaz González
Country:Mexico
Event:Men's singles & doubles
Highest Ranking:15 (MS, 1981)

Roy Díaz González (born 1953) is a former world-class badminton player from Mexico. Something of a child prodigy in the sport, González began touring internationally at fourteen, the age at which he captured the first of his many Mexican national singles titles.[1] He won the Belgian International men's doubles title at fifteen and the Swiss Open men's singles title at sixteen.[2] [3] [4]

By his late teens, in the early 1970s, González was competitive with the world's best players, but he never developed the penetrating power, or the deceptive wizardry, which might have allowed him to break through in badminton's biggest events. Nevertheless, he remained a respected and dangerous opponent on the world scene for over a decade, admired for his footwork, stamina, and touch. In 1977 he won men's singles at the first ever Pan-American Badminton Championships.[5]

González played in five Thomas Cup (men's international team) campaigns for Mexico, between 1970 and 1984, before finally losing a Thomas Cup singles match to another North American player. His advisor at the court was for a long time his father Dr. Jorge Díaz González.

Achievements

Pan Am Championships

Men's singles

YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
1977Université de Moncton, Moncton, Canada Jamie McKee17–14, 11–15, 15–9 Gold
1980San Diego Badminton Club, San Diego, United States Gary Higgins15–5, 15–10 Gold

International Open Tournaments (5 titles, 4 runners-up)

Men's singles

YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
1969Belgian International Lee Kin Tat3–15, 5–15 Runner-up
1970Swiss Open Hermann Fröhlich15–6, 15–5 Winner
1972Mexican International Sture Johnsson8–15, 11–15 Runner-up
1974Swiss Open Edy Andrey15–3, 15–4 Winner
1977Mexican International Ricardo Jaramillo15–5, 15–5 Winner

Men's doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
1969Belgian International Lee Kin Tat Ho Kim Kooi
Remy
15–8, 15–5 Winner
1970Swiss Open Hermann Fröhlich Rupert Liebl
Erich Eikelkamp
15–5, 15–10 Winner
1972Mexican International Victor Jaramillo Jorge Palazuelos
Francisco Sañudo
10–15, 14–17 Runner-up
1974Swiss Open Claude Bovard Ricardo Jaramillo
Francisco Sañudo
9–15, 15–6, 12–15 Runner-up

Notes and References

  1. Herbert Scheele ed., The International Badminton Federation Handbook for 1971 (Canterbury, Kent, England: J. A. Jennings Ltd., 1971) 236.
  2. Scheele, 123, 298.
  3. News: 1970-03-16 . BADMINTON - A BEAULIEU: SUISSE-BELGIQUE et les "Internationaux" de Suisse - VICTOIRES AUX ETRANGERS . 2024-10-15 . Le Confédéré . 4 . e-newspaperarchives.ch.
  4. News: 1974-03-13 . Badminton - Audrey überraschte . 2024-10-15 . . 11 . e-newspaperarchives.ch.
  5. "The first Pan-American Championships," World Badminton, July–August 1977, 11.