Three new Americans bound for Guadalajara

Last month, former World and Olympic champion Tony Gunawan was sworn in as a new U.S. citizen (see related article here) but he had been preceded by former partner Halim Haryanto Ho and Paula Lynn Obanana in taking the oath in 2011.   Now all three have been named to the United States Pan American Games team.

Gunawan won gold in the 2000 Olympics and became World Champion in 2001 with Halim, after the two captured the All England title earlier that year.  But then in 2005, Gunawan made history by pairing with fellow American Howard Bach to beat Tony’s former partner Candra Wijaya and win his new nation’s first ever World Championship title, at home in Anaheim.

Gunawan first immigrated to the United States in 2001, and Halim followed in 2004, both embarking on coaching careers at the time.  Obanana was a member of the Philippine National Badminton Team until 2005, when she immigrated to the U.S. with her family.  She and Halim now share a doubles/mixed partner in Eva Lee, and both pairings won titles at the recently concluded Brazil International Challenge.

For all three, U.S. citizenship has been vital in their bid for eligibility for the 2012 Olympic Games in London and their current run of form in the Pan Am region is also crucial.  While Tony and Howard’s #17 ranking puts them as the strong contenders for an Olympic spot, Halim and Eva trail two Canadian pairs for the Pan Am region’s Olympic berth.  Eva and Paula Lynn are neck-and-neck with two Canadian pairs and with compatriots Iris and Rena Wang for the women’s doubles spot.

For more information, see the press release by the USOC.