Antonio Rangel

Photo taken in Mexico City in 1969; from left to right: Tony Rangel Ojeda, Erland Kops, Elo Hansen and Raúl Rangel Ojeda. Antonio Rangel Ojeda (27 October 1943 – 22 December 2004) was a Mexican Badminton player that competed in the different categories of singles, doubles and mixed doubles, both nationally and internationally.

His father, Raúl Rangel Romero was a dentist who taught his two children about the importance and benefits of practising sports, while his mother Luz Ojeda Lacroix was a school teacher. Antonio started to play badminton when he was about ten years old, together with his older brother Raúl, at the Centro Deportivo Chapultepec AC.

In 1965, Antonio Rangel extended to three games his match against Erland Kops in the third round of the US Open; in that year, the Danish player - then ranked as the number one of the World - had been beaten by his opponents in only two games.

In 1968, Antonio Rangel graduated from the School of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and, one year later, 13 December 1969, he married Flor Lujan; they had four children: Antonio, Flor, David and Jorge.

Since Antonio Rangel got married, he concentrated all his energy to his family and his professional career and he practically retired from the badminton competitions.

Sports career In 1958, when he was just 14 years old, Antonio Rangel became the national champion of Mexico for the first time, competing in the doubles category, together with his brother Raul Rangel. By 1967, he had already won 23 Mexican National Championships. In 1966, he won two more titles in the Mexican Open of Badminton as a singles player and in the doubles category, teaming up with his brother Raul Rangel. 1963 – Lost the singles final of the III University of Texas Open, also known as the Texas Open, against Tan Joe Hok. 1963 – Together with his brother Raul Rangel, he lost the men's doubles final of the III University of Texas Open against Tan Joe Hok and J. Izen. 1964 – With his brother Raul Rangel, he won the men's doubles category of the IV University of Texas Open against George Harman and John Sudbury. 1966 – Champion with his brother Raul Rangel of the Torneo Internacional de Badminton de Perú in the men's doubles category.

When the competition was finished, Antonio Rangel prolonged his stay in Peru, accepting an invitation from the Peruvian Federation of Badminton, who wanted to promote further the badminton in Peru by organising some exhibition games in the Naval Centre of Peru (el Centro Naval del Perú), the Pacific Expo (la Feria del Pacífico) and some sporting precincts such as the "Club Regatas" of Lima and the "Club Lawn Tennis de la Exposición".

Thomas Cup Antonio Rangel was part of the first Mexican team that competed in the Thomas Cup (American zone) and that was defeated by Japan in February 1964 (0–9). In February 1967, he competed for the second time with the Mexican team that was eliminated by Canada in the semi-finals of the zone; Antonio Rangel lost against the Canadian champion, Wayne Macdonnell: 12–15, 15-6 y 15–8. In men's doubles, he played together with Oscar Luján, against the brothers Ed and Rolf Paterson and lost: 15-5 y 15–6. In 1970, Antonio Rangel participated in the Thomas Cup for the last time as member of the team that was coached by the former Indonesian player Tan Joe Hok (winner of the All England in 1959), this time Mexico lost against the United States (2–7), in San Diego, California.