Channarong Ratanaseangsuang (born 1939), also known as Ratana, is a former badminton player and coach who represented both Thailand and Canada in international competition.

Career

With a game marked by impressive mobility and consistency, during the 1960s he rated among the world's elite singles players. He reached the final of the prestigious All-England Championship in 1963, the semifinals in both 1964 and 1965, and won the open championships of Canada (1964, 1965) and the United States (1964, 1968).^[1] Channarong played a leading role on the Thai Thomas Cup (men's international) teams of 1961 and 1964 that finished second and third in the world respectively.^[2]

In the mid-1960s he moved from Thailand to North America, settling permanently in Canada after studying in the US. As a player-coach he represented Canada in three Thomas Cup campaigns (1970, 1973, 1976) and won both Canadian national and Canadian Open men's doubles titles with former Thai teammate Raphi Kanchanaraphi before retiring from high level competition.^[3]

Coaching

As a coach, he led the Canadian National team from 1967 to 1973 and again from 1979 to 1986. Channarong also mentored the Canadian players during the BWF World Championships in 1980, 1983 and 1985; the Commonwealth Games of 1970, 1982 and 1986; the Uber Cup in 1981 and 1984; the Thomas Cup in 1970, 1976 and 1986; and the Olympic Games in 1996.^[3][4]

Achievements

Southeast Asian Peninsular Games

Men's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1961	Rangoon, Myanmar	Smas Slayman		Gold

International tournaments

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
1963	All England	Erland Kops	7–15, 7–15	Runner-up
1963	Canada Open	Erland Kops	12–15, 12–15	Runner-up
1964	Canada Open	Yoshio Komiya	15–9, 15–1	Winner
1964	Mexico International	Don Paup		Winner
1964	US Open	Jim Poole	17-14, 15-12	Winner
1965	Canada Open	Jim Poole	15–1, 15–2	Winner
1967	Mexico International			Winner
1968	Canada Open	Bruce Rollick	15–2, 15–18, 14–17	Runner-up
1968	US Open	Jim Poole	15-11, 15-7	Winner
1968	Mexico International	Jamie Paulson		Winner

Men's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1963	Canada Open	Sangob Rattanusorn	Erland Kops Robert McCoig	13–15, 15–11, 13–15	Runner-up
1964	Mexico International	Paisan Loaharanu			Winner
1965	Canada Open	Jim Poole	Eiichi Sakai Takeshi Miyanaga	15–10, 18–15	Winner
1968	Mexico International	Jamie Paulson			Winner
1969	US Open	Ippei Kojima	Punch Gunalan Ng Boon Bee	3–15, 7–15	Runner-up
1970	Canada Open	Raphi Kanchanaraphi	Ippei Kojima Junji Honma	15–10, 15–9	Winner
1973	Canada Open	Raphi Kanchanaraphi	Jamie Paulson Yves Paré	15-9, 15-10, 15-12	Runner-up
1973	Mexico International	Raphi Kanchanaraphi	Jamie Paulson Yves Paré	18–15, 18–15	Winner

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
1964	Mexico International	Judy Adamos			Winner
1964	US Open	Margaret Barrand	Joe Alston Lois Alston	Walkover	Winner
1968	Canada Open	Tyna Barinaga	Sangob Rattanusorn Lois Alston	11–15, 7–15	Runner-up
1968	Mexico International	Lucero Peniche			Winner

Honours

Due to his achievements in badminton, he has been inducted to the Sports Hall of Fame in Sweden, Thailand and the United States. He was presented with the Vanier Award for Outstanding Young Canadian in 1978, and received the Alberta 3M Coaching Award in 1997, the Government of Canada Certificate of Merit in 1987, and the International Badminton Federation Meritorious Service Award in 1988.^[4]