Brenda Beenhakker

Brenda Beenhakker
File:Brenda Beenhakker.jpg
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Big Brenda
Country	Netherlands
Born	(1977-02-18) 18 February 1977 Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Handedness	Right
Women's singles & doubles
Career record	172 wins, 120 losses
Medal record Women's badminton Representing Netherlands Uber Cup Bronze medal – third place 2002 Guangzhou Women's team European Championships Bronze medal – third place 2002 Malmö Women's singles European Mixed Team Championships Silver medal – second place 2004 Geneva Mixed team Silver medal – second place 2006 Den Bosch Mixed team Bronze medal – third place 2002 Malmö Mixed team European Women's Team Championships Gold medal – first place 2006 Thessaloniki Women's team European Junior Championships Gold medal – first place 1995 Nitra Girls' singles
BWF profile

Brenda Beenhakker (born 18 February 1977) is a retired Dutch badminton player. She is the former European junior champion in the girls' singles event in 1995. She won Dutch National Championships for 8 times; 5 times in singles (1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) and 3 times in doubles (2005 – with Karina de Wit, 2006 & 2007 – with Judith Meulendijks).

Career

Beenhakker surprised as a seventeen-year-old junior in 1995 by becoming women's singles Dutch National champion. When she was eleven, she became the Dutch junior champion for the first time. Hereafter several youth titles in her and higher age categories followed. A few months after her first championship with seniors in 1995, she was also crowned as European Junior Champion, becoming the first ever Dutch to win the girls' singles title. Beenhakker played badminton for BC Smashing (Wijchen) in the Dutch premier league. She won a bronze medal at the 2002 European Badminton Championships in Malmö, Sweden. She stopped playing international tournaments in April 2006, after a badminton career lasting for 19 years. The Arnhem player started badminton when she was ten years old, after having been interested in playing tennis before. Beenhakker is married, has a daughter and has been working at a childcare center in Wijchen since 2008. As of 2009/10 season, she succeeded Frans Rademaker as trainer of BC Smashing. She had also given training at the Dutch clubs BECA Arnhem and BC Mariken in Nijmegen.

Achievements

European Championships

Women's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2002	Baltiska hallen, Malmö, Sweden	Mia Audina	1–7, 6–8, 1–7	Bronze Bronze

European Junior Championships

Girls' singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1995	Športová hala Olympia, Nitra, Slovakia	Mette Justesen	11–0, 4–11, 12–10	Gold Gold

IBF International

Women's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
1995	Welsh International	Elena Rybkina	4–11, 6–11	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1997	Austrian International	Judith Meulendijks	1–11, 11–8, 9–12	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
1997	Welsh International	Judith Meulendijks	11–4, 11–6	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
1999	Australian International	Sandra Dimbour	3–11, 5–11	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2001	French International	Tine Rasmussen	7–2, 8–6, 5–7, 7–1	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2001	Welsh International	Sara Persson	7–5, 7–5, 7–0	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2002	Dutch International	Karina de Wit	7–5, 7–0, 7–4	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2003	Dutch International	Kamila Augustyn	5–11, 4–11	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2005	USA SCBA International	Miyo Akao	7–11, 11–7, 11–2	1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner

Women's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2005	Finnish International	Paulien van Dooremalen	Sandra Marinello Kathrin Piotrowski	11–15, 1–15	2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up

External links

• Brenda Beenhakker at BWF.TournamentSoftware.com