Kate Foo Kune


Kate Foo Kune is a badminton player from Mauritius. She began playing badminton in Mauritius at age six. Her first major tournament participation was 2013 BWF World Championships in China, where she lost in the first round of women's singles to Sarah Walker of England. Foo Kune represented her country at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was the flag bearer for Mauritius during the Parade of Nations.
As a junior player, she won the Under-15 and Under-19 African tournaments. She was awarded the Sportswoman of the year in 2015 in Mauritius. In doubles, she partnered with Yeldy Marie Louison, while in mixed doubles, she partnered with Georges Julien Paul. Her career-best ranking remains 63 as of 2016 and her best performance remains the gold at 2015 African games. In June 2019, Kate was tested positive for doping during the 2019 African Badminton Championships and on November 2019 it is announced that her result in the championship is disqualified.

Personal life

Kate Foo Kune is the second child of Jacques and Cathy Foo Kune, both leading mixed doubles badminton players who several championships, such as the 1985 Indian Ocean Games. The pair were married in 1990 and had two children. Her sister, Karen Foo Kune, is also a professional badminton player and competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Foo Kune pursued her bachelor's degree in Sports Management while at France.
The sisters were paired and played doubles in 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Professional life

Foo Kune started playing badminton at the age of six and turned professional by twelve. She first participated in a junior competition at age 12 in 2005. She had her international debut Thomas and Uber Cup Qualification for Africa in 2010 held at Uganda. She was named Sportswoman of the Year in 2015 in Mauritius. In doubles, she partnered with Yeldy Marie Louison, while in mixed doubles, she partnered with Georges Julien Paul. During the early part of her career, she paired with her sister Karen Foo Kune. During her first outing in the African Badminton Cup of Nations, she finished second, but a few weeks later, she won the Mauritius International Series. She went on to win the Under-15 and Under-19 African tournaments.
In September 2013, it was reported that she was one of the 14 players selected for the Road to Rio Program, a program that aimed to help African badminton players compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
As of 2016, she lived in Paris, France, and joined Issy-Les-Moulineaux Badminton Club. Prior to this, she trained for four months in Malaysia and Leeds, England.
Foo Kune was part of the Mauritius badminton squad which won the title at the 2016 Africa Continental Team Badminton Championships in February 2016, which also confirms the participation of Mauritius in 2016 Uber Cup. In June 2016, Foo Kune won the 2016 European Badminton Club Championships with her club despite losing in the final to Beatriz Corrales. She was the flagbearer for Mauritius during the Parade of Nations. She won her first match against Wendy Chen Hsuan-Yu of Australia, but was defeated by Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand and failed to qualify for the next round.

Achievements

All African Games

Women's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2015Gymnase Étienne Mongha, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo Grace Gabriel21–13, 21–19 Gold

Women's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2015Gymnase Étienne Mongha,
Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo		 Yeldy Marie Louison Juliette Ah-Wan
Allisen Camille		20–22, 21–18, 14–21 Silver

African Championships

Women's singles
YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2020Cairo Stadium Hall 2, Cairo, Egypt Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan21–19, 21–16 Gold
2019Alfred Diete-Spiff Centre, Port Harcourt, Nigeria Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan12–21, 13–21 Silver
2018Salle OMS Harcha Hacéne, Algiers, Algeria Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan21–16, 21–19 Gold
2017John Barrable Hall, Benoni, South Africa Hadia Hosny16–21, 21–14, 21–8 Gold
2014Lobatse Stadium, Gaborone, Botswana Grace Gabriel21–14, 14–21, 21–17 Gold
2013National Badminton Centre, Rose Hill, Mauritius Grace Gabriel23–25, 12–21 Silver

In November 2019, Badminton World Federation released a statement regarding doping test failure of Kate Foo Kune in this championships and decided to disqualify her result.
Women's doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2014Lobatse Stadium,
Gaborone, Botswana		 Yeldy Marie Louison Juliette Ah-Wan
Allisen Camille		21–17, 22–20 Gold
2011Marrakesh, Morocco Karen Foo Kune Annari Viljoen
Michelle Edwards		21–19, 9–21, 8–21 Bronze

Mixed doubles
YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2017John Barrable Hall,
Benoni, South Africa		 Georges Julien Paul Andries Malan
Jennifer Fry		19–21, 21–19, 19-21 Silver

BWF International Challenge/Series (9 titles, 11 runners-up)

Women's singles
YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
2019South Africa International Katharina Fink21–16, 21–14 Winner
2018Uganda International Hadia Hosny21–19, 21–10 Winner
2017South Africa International Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka10–21, 10–21 Runner-up
2017Zambia International Ksenia Polikarpova14–21, 21–16, 21–18 Winner
2016Norwegian International Yap Rui Chen13–21, 8–21 Runner-up
2016Uganda International Telma Santos10–21, 12–21 Runner-up
2015Botswana International Laura Sarosi10–21, 14–21 Runner-up
2015Zambia International Sorayya Aghaei15–21, 1–0 Retired Winner
2015Nigeria International Grace Gabriel21–14, 11–21, 12–21 Runner-up
2014Zambia International Grace Gabriel21–16, 21–17 Winner
2014Morocco International Lianne Tan11–7, 9–11, 9–11, 8–11 Runner-up
2013Mauritius International Grace Gabriel21–18, 16–21, 24–22 Winner

Women's doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2014Zambia International Grace Gabriel Michelle Butler-Emmett
Elme de Villiers		17–21, 21–19, 17–21 Runner-up
2014Mauritius International Yeldy Marie Louison Annika Horbach
Maria Mata Masinipeni		12–21, 12–21 Runner-up

Mixed doubles
YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2018Uganda International Jonathan Persson Georges Julien Paul
Aurelie Marie Elisa Allet		21–11, 21–18 Winner
2017Zambia International Jonathan Persson Misha Zilberman
Svetlana Zilberman		Walkover Winner
2017Mauritius International Jonathan Persson Yogendran Khrishnan
Prajakta Sawant		7–21, 17–21 Runner-up
2017Brazil International Jonathan Persson Hugo Arthuso
Fabiana Silva		11–21, 19–21 Runner-up
2014Zambia International Georges Julien Paul Ali Ahmed El-Khateeb
Doha Hany		21–18, 21–14 Winner
2014Hatzor International Florent Riancho Gennadiy Natarov
Yuliya Kazarinova		6–11, 7–11, 11–8, 10–11 Runner-up

Career overview

SinglesPlayedWinsLossesBalance
Total329199129+70
Current year 981+7

Women's doublesPlayedWinsLossesBalance
Total1005644+12
Current year 321+1

Mixed doublesPlayedWinsLossesBalance
Total844440+4
Current year 0000