Indonesian · Kudus, Central Java, Indonesia · Born 28 February 1956Indonesian badminton player who popularized the jumping smash, nicknamed the 'King Smash,' winning three All England titles and reaching six consecutive finals during the sport's global expansion.
Liem Swie King invented the 'King Smash' — a high-leap interception at the shuttlecock's peak that became a foundational technique in modern badminton — and used it to win three All England titles and become the sport's first-ever officially ranked world number one when the IBF introduced rankings in 1978.. He became Central Java's junior singles champion in 1972 and won the Indonesian national championship in 1974 while still in high school. King developed his signature technique around 1977: a high vertical leap that allowed him to intercept the shuttlecock at its peak with a ferocious whip-like strike, quickly dubbed the 'King Smash' and credited with popularizing the jumping smash as a standard attacking skill in modern badminton. He reached six consecutive All England finals from 1976 to 1981, winning the title in 1978, 1979, and 1981, and was the world's first-ever IBF number one men's singles player upon the ranking's introduction in 1978. King was twice runner-up at the triennial World Championships, in 1980 and 1983, both times to fellow Indonesians - Rudy Hartono and Icuk Sugiarto, respectively - and was a key member of Indonesia's Thomas Cup winning teams in 1976, 1979, and 1984, also winning a men's doubles bronze at the 1985 World Championships with Hariamanto Kartono. He retired in 1988 after a 15-year career and was inducted into the Badminton Hall of Fame in 2002. His life story was adapted into the 2009 Indonesian film 'King,' in which he made a cameo appearance, and he has since worked in business, running a hotel and health spa in Jakarta, while continuing to be regarded as one of the most influential figures in Indonesian badminton history.
Popularizing the jumping smash, known as the 'King Smash,' and reaching six consecutive All England finals, winning three
How They Played
Explosive attacking player famed for a dramatic vertical leap that intercepted the shuttlecock at its highest point, delivering either a ferocious smash or a deceptive drop shot
Lasting Impact
Regarded as one of Indonesia's greatest badminton players and a transformative figure in the sport's technical evolution, whose jumping smash became a standard attacking skill for generations of players that followed
Career Honours
- 3x All England Champion (1978, 1979, 1981)
- 2x World Championship Silver Medalist (1980, 1983)
- 3x Thomas Cup Champion (1976, 1979, 1984)
- Inducted into the Badminton Hall of Fame (2002)
Indonesian Athletes