Tan Joe Hok

Hendra Kartanegara
Hendra Kartanegara
Personal information
Birth name	Tan Joe Hok
Country	Indonesia
Born	11 August 1937; Bandung, Dutch East Indies
Died	2 June 2025 (aged 87); Jakarta, Indonesia
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing Indonesia
Thomas Cup
Asian Games

Tan Joe Hok (Indonesian name: Hendra Kartanegara, Chinese: 陳有福; pinyin: Chén Youfu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Iú-hok; 11 August 1937 – 2 June 2025) was an Indonesian badminton player, who along with Ferry Sonneville and a cadre of fine doubles players set the foundation for an Indonesian badminton dynasty by dethroning then-perennial Thomas Cup champion Malaya in 1958.

Tan Joe Hok lived in Bandung until he finished high school. He received his degree in Chemistry and Biology from Baylor University, Texas, United States.

He was the first Indonesian to win the All England Open in 1959 and the first Indonesian to win a gold medal in Asian Games, which happened at home in 1962. He won both the U.S. Open and Canadian Open singles titles consecutively in 1959 and 1960. He had many other notable achievements in the badminton field, both as a player and a coach, most particularly, winning all but one of his singles matches for Indonesia's world champion Thomas Cup (men's international) teams of 1958, 1961, and 1964.

Background

Tan was born on 11 August 1937 in Bandung.^[1] From 1959 to 1963, he studied Premed in Chemistry & Biology at Baylor University in the U.S. state of Texas.

He married former badminton player Goei Kiok Nio in 1965 and they have two children. Tan Joe Hok had a difficulty establishing full citizenship in Indonesia because he could not obtain an SBKRI, a mandatory document for non-indigenous and especially Chinese-Indonesian during the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Suharto. He said, "It wouldn't be hard for us to move overseas but we don't want to do that because we are Indonesians. Even if it was raining gold overseas, we will remain here, in the land where Indonesian blood has been spilled."^[2]^[3]

Tan died after suffering stroke in Jakarta, on 2 June 2025, at the age of 87.^[4]

Career and achievements

Won the National Championships at Surabaya (1956)
Member of Squad Indonesian Team that won the Thomas Cup at Singapore (1958)
First Indonesian badminton men's player to win All England (1959)
First Indonesian badminton men's player to win Asian Games gold medal (1962)
Member of Squad Team Thomas Cup Indonesia (1964–1967)
Badminton coach at Mexico (1969–1970)
Badminton coach at Hong Kong (1971)
Coach of Indonesia Thomas Cup Team at Kuala Lumpur (1984)
Badminton coach at PB Djarum Kudus
Mandala Pest Control Director (since 1973)
Best Sport Coach by SIWO/PWI Jaya version (1984)

Asian Games

Men's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1962	Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia	Teh Kew San	15–9, 15–3	Gold

Men's doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1962	Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia	Liem Tjeng Kiang	Ng Boon Bee Tan Yee Khan	13–15, 17–18	Silver

International tournaments (10 titles, 7 runners-up)

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
1957	India Championships	Amrit Dewan	15–2, 15–7	Winner
1958	East India Championships	Eddy Yusuf	15–10, 15–9	Winner
1959	All England Open	Ferry Sonneville	15–8, 10–15, 15–3	Winner
1959	Thailand Championships	Charoen Wattanasin	15–10, 9–15, 15–6	Winner
1959	Canadian Open	Charoen Wattanasin	15–4, 15–10	Winner
1959	U.S. Open	Charoen Wattanasin	7–15, 15–5, 18–14	Winner^[5]
1960	Canadian Open	Finn Kobberø	10–15, 15–8, 15–13	Winner
1960	U.S. Open	Charoen Wattanasin	15–6, 15–8	Winner
1962	U.S. Open	Ferry Sonneville	15–17, 17–18	Runner-up
1962	Mexican Open	Erland Kops	8–15, 9–15	Runner-up

Men's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1960	Canadian Open	Charoen Wattanasin	Lim Say Hup Teh Kew San	8–15, 8–15	Runner-up
1962	U.S. Open	Ferry Sonneville	Joe Alston Wynn Rogers	12–15, 13–15	Runner-up
1962	Mexican Open	Erland Kops	Berndt Dahlberg Ferry Sonneville	15–7, 14–17, 15–4	Winner
1963	All England Open	Ferry Sonneville	Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen Finn Kobberø	6–15, 5–15	Runner-up
1969	Canadian Open	Charoen Wattanasin	Tony Jordan Robert McCoig	7–15, 6–15	Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1960	Canadian Open	Sushila Kapadia	Finn Kobberø Jean Miller	21–16, 11–21, 21–15	Runner-up
1967	Malaysia Open	Retno Kustijah	Darmadi Minarni	15–9, 15–8	Winner

References

^ Redaksi, Tim (2 June 2025). "Sosok Tan Joe Hok, Legenda Bulutangkis Sempat Jadi Korban Diskriminasi". CNBC Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 June 2025.
^ Kompas newspaper on 11 February 2004
^ SE, DR Ir Justian Suhandinata (6 February 2013). Indonesian Chinese Descent In Indonesia's Economy And Political. Gramedia Pustaka Utama. ISBN 978-979-22-3762-7. Retrieved 3 June 2025 – via Google Books.
^ "Indonesian Badminton Icon Tan Joe Hok Passes Away at 87". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
^ "LIFE". Time Inc. 20 April 1959. Retrieved 3 June 2025 – via Google Books.

External links

(id) Tan Joe Hok, Tenar setelah Mengalahkan Kiem Bie
(id) Tan Joe Hok, Bangga Jadi Kebanggaan Bangsa Archived 13 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
(en) Tan Joe Hok assails discrimination
(en) Tan Joe Hok's citizenship saga

[1] Redaksi, Tim (2 June 2025). "Sosok Tan Joe Hok, Legenda Bulutangkis Sempat Jadi Korban Diskriminasi". CNBC Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 June 2025.

[2] Kompas newspaper on 11 February 2004

[3] SE, DR Ir Justian Suhandinata (6 February 2013). Indonesian Chinese Descent In Indonesia's Economy And Political. Gramedia Pustaka Utama. ISBN 978-979-22-3762-7. Retrieved 3 June 2025 – via Google Books.

[4] "Indonesian Badminton Icon Tan Joe Hok Passes Away at 87". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 3 June 2025.

[5] "LIFE". Time Inc. 20 April 1959. Retrieved 3 June 2025 – via Google Books.

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