Toma Junior Popov


Toma Junior Popov is a French badminton player. He won the bronze medal at the 2015 European Junior Championships in the boys' singles event. Popov made history as the first non-Danish male player to win a European junior team gold as well as the men's singles and doubles in 2017. He joined Peter Gade, Jim Laugesen, and Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen as the only men to ever complete the treble. He competed at the 2018 Mediterranean Games, claim the men's singles bronze medal.

Personal life

Born in Sofia, Popov came from the badminton family. His father, Thomas, was a former Bulgarian and French national player. His brother, Christo, also plays badminton. Both of them trained at the Fos-sur-Mer club.

Achievements

Mediterranean Games

Men's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2018El Morell Pavilion, Tarragona, Spain Muhammed Ali Kurt21–17, 21–16 Bronze

European Junior Championships

Boys' singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2017Centre Sportif Régional d'Alsace, Mulhouse, France Arnaud Merkle21–14, 21–15 Gold
2015Regional Sport Centrum Hall, Lubin, Poland Anders Antonsen13–21, 9–21 Bronze

Boys' doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2017Centre Sportif Régional d'Alsace,
Mulhouse, France		 Thom Gicquel Max Flynn
Callum Hemming		21–17, 21–13 Gold

BWF International Challenge/Series (10 titles, 1 runner-up)

Men's singles
YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
2019Irish Open Pablo Abián21–10, 24–22 Winner
2019Bulgarian Open Abhinav Manota21–15, 21–10 Winner
2018Czech Open Victor Svendsen21–16, 21–11 Winner
2018Bulgarian Open Arnaud Merkle22–20, 21–12 Winner
2018Spanish International Lucas Corvée21–13, 21–17 Winner
2018Latvia International Léo Rossi21–10, 21–15 Winner
2018Hellas International Ondřej Král21–7, 21–13 Winner
2016Latvia International Kasper Lehikoinen21–14, 21–14 Winner

Men's doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2019Italian International Christo Popov Bjarne Geiss
Jan Colin Völker		18–21, 16–21 Runner-up
2018Bulgarian Open Christo Popov Chen Yu-jun
Lin Bing-wei		17–21, 21–7, 21–17 Winner
2014Bulgarian Eurasia Open Thomas Vallez Ronan Guéguin
Alexandre Hammer		11–10, 11–10, 11–9 Winner

BWF Junior Tournament (9 titles, 4 runners-up)

Boys' singles
YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
2016Danish Junior Nhat Nguyen21–16, 19–21, 24–22 Champion
2016Belgian Junior Arnaud Merkle21–15, 21–12 Champion
2016Hellas Junior Nhat Nguyen21–17, 11–21, 21–14 Champion
2015Slovenia Junior Wolfgang Gnedt21–14, 10–21, 23–21 Champion
2015Bulgarian Junior Daniel Nikolov21–9, 19–21, 13–21 Runner Up
2014Bulgarian Junior Alexandre Hammer11–10, 4–11, 4–11, 11–6, 11–4 Champion

Boys' doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2016Danish Junior Karl Thor Søndergaard Rasmus Kjær Pedersen
Jesper Toft		14–21, 21–17, 17–21 Runner-up
2016Belgian Junior Léo Rossi Zach Russ
Steven Stallwood		21–11, 21–15 Winner
2016Bulgarian Junior Léo Rossi Pakin Kuna-Anuvit
Natthapat Trinkajee		13–21, 8–21 Runner Up
2016Hellas Junior Thomas Baures Eloi Adam
Samy Corvee		21–18, 21–15 Winner
2015Slovenia Junior Gregor Dunikowski Emre Comert
Baran Yuksel		21–16, 21–17 Winner
2015Hungarian Junior Thomas Vallez Aleksander Jablonski
Pawel Smilowski		21–17, 20–22, 21–19 Winner
2014Bulgarian Junior Thomas Vallez Ronan Gueguin
Alexandre Hammer		10–11, 11–10, 9–11, 11–6, 6–11 Runner Up