Kevin Cordón


Kevin Haroldo Cordón Buezo is a Guatemalan badminton player.

Career overview

Born in La Unión, Zacapa, Cordón was named after former England international footballer Kevin Keegan, of whom his father was a fan. In spite of badminton not being popular in Guatemala during his childhood, 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, being the first member of his family to practice the sport. He began playing at the age of 11 and by 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 in the 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 after beating fifth seeded Chen Long from China 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 October 20, 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. In 2015, he successfully defended his men's singles Pan Am Games title at the Atos Markham Pan Am Centre in Toronto at the Pan American Games beating Canadian Andrew D'Souza 21–13, 21–14 in the final.
Cordón qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics singles competition. He won both of his group matches, thus winning a place in the round of 16. He lost his round of 16 match versus Sho Sasaki of Japan. He qualified again to the 2016 Summer Olympics, but have to withdrew due to injury after finishing the first match against Adrian Dziolko of Poland.
Kevin Cordón twice won the continental Pan Am Badminton Championships in the men's singles event in 2009 and 2012 and also once the men's doubles Pan Am badminton event in 2009 with compatriot Rodolfo Ramirez.
Already as a junior player in 2004 he won the continental Pan Am Junior Badminton Championships boys' singles title in the U-19 category.

Achievements

Pan American Games

Men's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2019Polideportivo 3, Lima, Peru Brian Yang21–15, 13–21, 3–13 Retired Bronze
2015Atos Markham Pan Am Centre, Toronto, Canada Andrew D’Souza21–13, 21–14 Gold
2011Multipurpose Gymnasium, Guadalajara, Mexico Osleni Guerrero23–21, 21–19 Gold
2007Riocentro Sports Complex, Pavilion 4B, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Mike Beres21–13, 11–21, 10–21 Silver

Pan Am Championships

Men's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2019Gimnasio Olímpico,
Aguascalientes, Mexico		 Osleni Guerrero11–21, 20–22 Silver
2018Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium,
Guatemala City, Guatemala		 Jason Ho-shue14–21, 17–21 Bronze
2012Coliseo Manuel Bonilla,
Lima, Peru		 Osleni Guerrero23–21, 21–19 Gold
2009Coliseo Olímpico de la Universidad de Guadalajara,
Guadalajara, Mexico		 Stephan Wojcikiewicz21–11, 21–19 Gold
2008Club de Regatas,
Lima, Peru		 David Snider21–23, 21–6, 19–21 Bronze

Men's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2014Markham Pan Am Centre,
Markham, Canada		 Aníbal Marroquín Phillip Chew
Sattawat Pongnairat		13–21, 7–21 Bronze
2009Coliseo Olímpico de la Universidad de Guadalajara,
Guadalajara, Mexico		 Rodolfo Ramírez Antonio de Vinatea
Martin del Valle		21–18, 17–21, 23–21 Gold
2008Club de Regatas,
Lima, Peru		 Rodolfo Ramírez Toby Ng
William Milroy		16–21, 9–21 Silver

Central American and Caribbean Games

Men's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2018Coliseo Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia Osleni Guerrero21–16, 14–21, 25–23 Gold
2014Omega Complex, Veracruz, Mexico Osleni Guerrero20–22, 21–13, 24–22 Gold
2010Raymond Dalmau Coliseum, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Pedro Yang21–15, 21–12 Gold
2006Pavilion of Parque del Este, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Ilian Perez Gold

Men's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2014Omega Complex,
Veracruz, Mexico		 Aníbal Marroquín Rodolfo Ramírez
Jonathan Solís		22–20, 22–20 Gold
2010Raymond Dalmau Coliseum,
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico		 Rodolfo Ramírez Andrés López
Lino Muñoz		18–21, 21–17, 21–6 Gold
2006Pavilion of Parque del Este,
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic		 Rodolfo Ramírez Lazaro Jerez
Ilian Perez		21–12, 13–21, 15–21 Bronze

BWF International Challenge/Series (38 titles, 16 runner-up)

Men's singles
YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
2019Suriname International Brian YangWalkover Runner-up
2019Santo Domingo Open Brian Yang8–21, 4–21 Runner-up
2019Brazil International Lino Muñoz21–19, 21–19 Winner
2019Guatemala International Lino Muñoz21–6, 11–3 Retired Winner
2019International Mexicano Lino Muñoz21–16, 21–13 Winner
2019Peru International Brian Yang21–15, 13–21, 12–21 Runner-up
2019Jamaica International Kodai Naraoka17–21, 8–21 Runner-up
2018Suriname International Elias Bracke21–13, 21–15 Winner
2018Guatemala International Timothy Lam21–12, 21–13 Winner
2018International Mexicano Maxime Moreels21–19, 21–14 Winner
2018Peru International Osleni Guerrero22–20, 14–21, 21–15 Winner
2017Guatemala International Leodannis Martínez21–17, 21–18 Winner
2017Internacional Mexicano Anibal Marroquin21–12, 21–9 Winner
2017Carebaco International Karan Rajan Rajarajan21–19, 21–18 Winner
2017Yonex / K&D Graphics International Kento Momota7–21, 15–21 Runner-up
2016Guatemala International Osleni GuerreroWalkover Runner-up
2015Puerto Rico International Howard Shu21–17, 21–15 Winner
2015Brazil International Ygor Coelho de Oliveira18–21, 22–20, 19–21 Runner-up
2015Guatemala International Ygor Coelho de Oliveira22–20, 21–11 Winner
2015Mauritius International Luka Wraber21–12, 21–18 Winner
2015Mercosul International Marius Myhre21–14, 21–17 Winner
2015Peru International Series Daniel Paiola21–16, 22–20 Winner
2014Guatemala International Pablo Abian11–4, 8–11, 5–11, 10–11 Runner-up
2014Chile International Rodolfo Ramírez9–11, 11–9, 11–2, 11–6 Winner
2014Argentina International Daniel Paiola21–12, 21–18 Winner
2014Mercosul International Rodolfo Ramírez21–14, 21–16 Winner
2012Brazil International Niluka Karunaratne17–21, 22–20, 21–19 Winner
2012Guatemala International Howard ShuWalkover Winner
2011Slovenian International Hsu Jen-hao14–21, 21–19, 10–21 Runner-up
2011Peru International Michael Lahnsteiner23–21, 6–21, 21–12 Winner
2010Brazil International Hock Lai Lee13–21, 17–21 Runner-up
2010Guatemala International Rodolfo Ramírez21–14, 21–16 Winner
2010Santo Domingo Open Pedro Martins10–21, 13–21 Runner-up
2010Miami PanAm International Hock Lai Lee13–21, 21–14, 21–18 Winner
2010Suriname International Abdul Aditya23–21, 21–9 Winner
2009Guatemala International Rodolfo Ramírez21–16, 21–12 Winner
2009Santo Domingo Open Rodolfo Ramírez21–17, 21–12 Winner
2009Mexican International Charles Pyne21–11, 21–13 Winner
2009Puerto Rico International Pedro Martins18–21, 21–13, 21–17 Winner
2009Giraldilla International Ari Trisnanto21–19, 14–21, 18–21 Runner-up
2008Puerto Rico International Kaveh Mehrabi21–13, 21–9 Winner
2008Brazil International Andrés Corpancho21–15, 21–14 Winner
2008Miami PanAm International Christian Lind Thomsen21–18, 21–10 Winner
2008Peru International Andres Corpancho21–14, 21–14 Winner
2007Cyprus International Chetan Anand8–21, 24–26 Runner-up
2007Bulgarian International Jan Frohlich13–21, 7–17 Retired Runner-up

Men's doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2017Mercosul International Aníbal Marroquín Solis Jonathan
Rodolfo Ramírez		21–15, 13–21, 13–21 Runner-up
2010Guatemala International Rodolfo Ramírez Adrian Liu
Derrick Ng		21–23, 20–22 Runner-up
2010Santo Domingo Open Rodolfo Ramírez Adrian Liu
Derrick Ng		21–18, 24–22 Winner
2010Suriname International Rodolfo Ramírez Virgil Soeroredjo
Mitchel Wongsodikromo		21–14, 21–16 Winner
2009Guatemala International Rodolfo Ramírez Mathew Fogarthy
David Neuman		21–16 21–14 Winner
2009Santo Domingo Open Rodolfo Ramírez Phillip Chew
Halim Haryanto Ho		21–23, 21–15, 21–17 Winner
2009Puerto Rico International Rodolfo Ramírez Phillip Chew
Halim Haryanto Ho		21–19, 13–21, 21–16 Winner
2009Peru International Rodolfo Ramírez Jose Vicente Martinez
Javier Tur		16–21, 8–2 Retired Winner

Record Against Selected Opponents

Includes results against Super Series finalists, World Championship semifinalists, Olympic quarter-finalists, and all Olympic opponents.