Greysia Polii (; born 11 August 1987) is an Indonesian

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racket (sports equipment), racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net (device), net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per s ...

player specializing in doubles. She won gold medals in the women's doubles at the

2014 Asian Games The 2014 Asian Games (), officially known as the 17th Asian Games () and also known as Incheon 2014 (), were a pan-Asian multi-sport event held from 19 September to 4 October 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. On 17 April 2007, Incheon was awarded ...

, at the 2019 SEA Games and at the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

. She also won three bronze medals at the

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

in 2015, 2018, and 2019. Polii is a member of BWF Athletes' Commission to represent the needs and views of athletes to the BWF council and committees from 2013 to 2017 and 2021 to 2025. Having started her career at the Jaya Raya in Jakarta, she later was selected to join the national team in 2003. Polii represented her country in the

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

and at the

. She also featured in the Indonesian women's winning team at the 2007 SEA Games. She reached a career high of world number 2 in the BWF women's doubles rankings alongside Nitya Krishinda Maheswari. Polii's achievements began when she was paired with

Jo Novita Jo Novita (born 19 November 1981) is an Indonesian former badminton player. She won gold medals in the women's doubles at the Southeast Asian Games in 2003, and in the team event in 2001 and 2007. She won the World Grand Prix tournament title in ...

, winning a Grand Prix title, two silver medals at the SEA Games in 2005 and 2007, and a bronze in the 2005 Asian Championships. Together with Maheswari, she collected 2 Superseries titles, 3 Grand Prix titles, a gold at the

, a silver at the

2013 SEA Games The 2013 Southeast Asian Games (, ), officially known as the 27th Southeast Asian Games, or the 27th SEA Games, and commonly known as Naypyitaw 2013, were a Southeast Asian multi-sport event took place in Naypyidaw, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar from 11 ...

, and bronze medals at the 2015 World and 2016 Asian Championships. She made a new partnership with the youngster Apriyani Rahayu in 2017. Together with Rahayu, she won her first women's doubles gold at the SEA Games in 2019, her first title on home soil at the 2020 Indonesia Masters, and Indonesia's first ever women's doubles gold at the

Early life

Greysia Polii was born in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

to Willy Polii and Evie Pakasi, both of

Minahasa The Minahasans or Minahassa are an Austronesian people, Austronesian ethnic group native to North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, formerly known as North Celebes. The Minahasa people sometimes refer to themselves as Manado people. Although the M ...

descent native to

North Sulawesi North Sulawesi () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is mainly located on the Minahasa Peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia, but also includes various small archipel ...

. She is the third of five siblings. She lived in Jakarta until her dad died when she was only 2, and moved to

Manado Manado (, ) is the capital City status in Indonesia, city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar, with the 2020 census giving a population of 451,916,Badan ...

, where she spent her childhood. She was influenced to play badminton by her sister, and by former national player Deyana Lomban. She also idolized

Susi Susanti Lucia Francisca "Susi" Susanti Haditono (; born 11 February 1971) is an Indonesian retired badminton player. Relatively small of stature, she combined quick and graceful movement with elegant shotmaking technique, and is regarded by many as one ...

and

Zhang Ning Zhang Ning (; born 19 May 1975) is a former Chinese badminton player. She won the Olympic gold medal twice for women's singles in both 2004 and 2008. She has played badminton on the world scene since the mid-1990s and has been particularly succes ...

. Her talent was already apparent by the time she was six years old. Recognizing her talent, she and her mother moved back to Jakarta in 1995 for better training and a chance to develop her career as a badminton player. Polii decided to join the Jaya Raya Jakarta club. At the club, her coach

Retno Kustijah Retno Kustijah (born 19 June 1942; as Retno Koestijah) is an Indonesian badminton player who competed internationally from the early 1960s to the early 1970s. Career Though she played singles in high level events, Kustijah's greatest success ca ...

noticed her talent as a doubles player, and thus, when Polii was 14, she made the decision to switch from singles to doubles. She made it to the national team in 2003. Polii's given name, Greysia, was created by combining the word "grey," referencing her father's grey hair at the time of her birth, with the last syllable of "Indonesia." Her late older brother was named Rickettsia Polii, presumably inspired by the genus of bacteria ''

Rickettsia ''Rickettsia'' is a genus of nonmotile, gram-negative, nonspore-forming, highly pleomorphic bacteria that may occur in the forms of cocci (0.1 μm in diameter), bacilli (1–4 μm long), or threads (up to about 10 μm long). The genus was n ...

''. Combined with the surname Polii, the full name bears resemblance to a scientific Latin binomial name.

Career

2003–2005: Early career and National Championships title

Starting her career as a women's and mixed doubles player, Polii began to show her abilities at the age of 16. Partnered with Heni Budiman, she reached the semi-final stage in the 2003's Malaysia Satellite tournament. As a national team player, she won her first

National Championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...

title with Budiman. The duo defeated

East Kalimantan East Kalimantan (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo/Kalimantan. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the cu ...

pair Indarti Issolina and Angeline de Pauw 8–15, 15–8, 15–7. In 2004, Polii helped the national junior team win the girls' team bronze at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships and mixed team bronze at the World Junior Championships. She also claimed the World Junior silver in the mixed doubles with Muhammad Rijal, and the bronze medal in the girls' doubles with Budiman. She made her debut with the national team at the

Uber Cup The Uber Cup, sometimes called the World Women's Team Championships, is a major international badminton competition contested by women's national badminton teams. First held in 1956–1957 and contested at three year intervals, it has been contes ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, where the team made the quarter-finals. Her best achievements in individual events during the year were reaching the quarter-finals at the Chinese Taipei Open and the Malaysia Open. In 2005, Polii won bronze medals at the Asian Junior Championships in the girls' team and doubles (with Heni Budiman). In March, she and Budiman finished as the semi-finalists in the Swiss Open. Due to the hip injury suffered by Budiman at the Swiss Open, Polii made a new partnership with her senior

in the beginning of 2005, and the duo won the bronze at the Asian Championships, as well as silver at the

SEA Games The Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as SEA Games is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with su ...

. At the World Grand Prix event, the Polii-Novita partnership were semi-finalists at the

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

and Hong Kong Open. Polii helped Indonesia reach the final stage of the

Sudirman Cup The Sudirman Cup is an international badminton mixed team competition contested by member countries of the Badminton World Federation, the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every two years since the inaugural tourn ...

, but the team lost 0–3 to China.

2006–2008: World Grand Prix title

In 2006, Polii began her season competing at the All England Open. Together with

, she lost in the second round to the third seeds from China, Yang Wei and

Zhang Jiewen Zhang Jiewen (; born 4 January 1981) is a Chinese former badminton player. Career One of China's most successful women's doubles specialists, Zhang has won some thirty international titles, the vast majority of them in partnership with Yang ...

, in straight games. In May, Polii won her first IBF World Grand Prix title at the 2006 Philippines Open partnered with Novita. In the final they beat their compatriots Endang Nursugianti and Rani Mundiasti in straight games 21–16, 21–13. She also paired with Muhammad Rijal in the mixed doubles, losing in the semi-finals to the eventual champions from Thailand,

Sudket Prapakamol Sudket Prapakamol (; ; born 8 February 1980) is a badminton player from Thailand. He is a police lieutenant and a sportsman like his brother. He has a Bachelor's degree from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. Career He competed i ...

and

Saralee Thungthongkam Captain Saralee Thungthongkam (; ; born 13 June 1979) is a Thai retired badminton player. She graduated with a master's degree in Communication Arts from Bangkok University. Career Thungthongkam made her debut at the Olympic Games in 2000 Syd ...

. At the Indonesia Open held in

Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...

, Polii's run was ended by a partnership featuring Zhao Tingting in both the women's and mixed doubles. In June, Polii reached the semi-finals in the mixed doubles and quarter-finals in the women's doubles at the Singapore Open. On the East Asian tour held in July–August, her best achievement was being a finalist at the Korea Open - she and Novita were defeated by Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen by a score of 10–21, 11–21. Together with Novita, she qualified to compete at the

held in Madrid. The duo were defeated in the third round to first seeds and eventual champions from China

Gao Ling Gao Ling (; born 14 March 1979) is a Chinese former badminton player. Career Noted for her consistency, anticipation, forecourt prowess, and sporting smile, Gao is one of the most successful doubles players in the history of women's badminton ...

and

Huang Sui Huang Sui ( zh, s=黄穗, t=黃穗, p=Huáng Suì; born 8 January 1982) is a Chinese- Australian female badminton player. Career Although Huang has won the Chinese National mixed doubles title almost all of her many international titles have ...

. Ranked as world number 10 in the women's doubles with Novita, Polii was ousted in the second round of the Japan Open both in the women's and mixed doubles. In the mixed doubles with Rijal, they lost to two-times Olympic champion Zhang Jun and Gao Ling in a rubber game 16–21, 22–20, 7–21. In November, the second seeded Polii-Novita reached the semi-finals of the

Denmark Open The Denmark Open, or formerly known as Danish Open, is an annual badminton tournament held in Denmark and organized by Badminton Denmark. The Denmark Open was part of the BWF Super Series Premier from 2011 to 2017. BWF categorised it as one ...

before being defeated by Polish pair Kamila Augustyn and Nadieżda Kostiuczyk in a close rubber game 13–21, 21–19, 19–21. In December, she represented her country at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, but failed to contribute any points to the team, where Indonesia women's team fell in the repechage to the semi-finals stage. Due to an injury suffered by Novita during the matches against Malaysia in the group stage, Polii was paired with Pia Zebadiah Bernadet in the individual event, but they were upset in the second round by Japanese pair

Miyuki Maeda is a Japanese international badminton player from the Renesas badminton club and later affiliated with Saishunkan team. She participated at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and also in three Asian Games editions from 2006 to 2014. Career Maed ...

and Satoko Suetsuna. She ended the 2006 season standing as world number 9 in the women's doubles. Polii opened the 2007 season by playing at the Malaysia Open with new partner

Vita Marissa Vita Marissa (born 4 January 1981) is an Indonesian retired badminton player. Career Marissa competed in badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in mixed doubles with partner Nova Widianto. They had a bye in the first round and defeated Robert ...

. The duo advanced to the final, but were unable to defeat the three times World Champion

and

, although they forced the Chinese pair to play a deciding game. Seeing that this new couple had good prospects, the women's doubles coach Aryono Miranat continued their partnership. In the following tournaments, although they did not win a title, the pair managed to become semi-finalists at the Swiss Open and quarter-finalists at the All England and Singapore Open. In Switzerland, Polii also finished as the finalist in the mixed doubles with Muhammad Rijal. In June, she helped Indonesia finish second to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in the

. In July, after

recovered from an injury, the duo teamed up again and participated in the Thailand Open, China Masters, and Philippines Open. Their best results were when she and Novita reached the semi-finals in the Philippines. In the quarter-finals, they were able to beat the third seeds from China, Yang Wei and Zhao Tingting, in two close games 25–23, 24–22. In August, Polii played at the

in the women's and mixed doubles. In the second round of the women's doubles, she had to retire from the tournament due to an injury to her right knee ligament. On the European tour in October–November, her best result was a semi-final appearance in the

French Open The French Open (), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a tennis tournament organized by the French Tennis Federation annually at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. It is chronologically the second of the four Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Slam ...

. At the

held in Solo, teamed up with Novita, Polii successfully defended the title she won two years ago with Heni Budiman. In December, she featured in the Indonesian women's winning team at the

in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, and won her second women's doubles silver at the Games. In the first half of the 2008 season, together with her partners

and Muhammad Rijal, Polii did not have satisfactory results, as her best achievements were being a women's doubles quarter-finalist in the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, All England,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, and Asian Championships. She was also a mixed doubles quarter-finalist in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, Germany, and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. In May, Polii helped Indonesia reach the final of the

held in Jakarta, where the team finished as the runner-up. Polii later teamed up with Nitya Krishinda Maheswari in the women's doubles and with

Flandy Limpele Flandy Limpele (born 9 February 1974) is an Indonesian badminton player and coach. He competed in four Summer Olympic Games: Badminton at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta 1996, Badminton at the 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney 2000, Badminton at t ...

in the mixed doubles. Her best results with her new partner was as a women's doubles semi-finalist in the

, defeating the 7th seeds Cheng Shu and

Zhao Yunlei Zhao Yunlei (born 25 August 1986) is a mixed and women's doubles badminton player from China. She graduated with a BA from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. She is the first and only badminton player to have ever won two gold medal ...

in the second round, and finishing as a mixed doubles quarter-finalist in the Japan Open and China Masters. Despite not being paired-up with Novita in the remaining 2008 tournaments, they were qualified to compete at the inaugural Superseries Masters Finals held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The duo reached the semi-finals, where they were defeated by their compatriots

Liliyana Natsir Liliyana Natsir (born 9 September 1985) is an Indonesian badminton player who specialized in doubles. She is one of the standout front court player, with dexterousness and skill in controlling and executing the shuttlecock. Natsir has tremendous ...

and

in straight games 19–21, 17–21.

2009–2012: National Championships double crowned, Olympic Games black card

In 2009, Polii focused on one discipline, playing only in the women's doubles with Nitya Krishinda Maheswari. Even though she fell in the early stages of two Europe tour events, the All England and Swiss Open, she reached the finals of Singapore Open. She and her partner beat the world number one

Chin Eei Hui Chin Eei Hui (; Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Chhìn Ngì-fui; born 18 June 1982) is a former badminton player from Malaysia who plays in both women's and mixed doubles. She worked as a coach for Malaysia's national women's doubles players until her c ...

and

Wong Pei Tty Wong Pei Tty (, born 11 November 1981) is a Malaysian former doubles badminton player. Wong is currently the Head Coach of the Badminton Academy in Singapore Sport School. Her previous stint included being coach for Malaysia women's doubles n ...

from Malaysia in the quarter-finals, followed by ninth-placed Lena Frier Kristiansen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl from Denmark in the semi-finals. In May, she was part of the Indonesia team who finished as semi-finalists in

held in Guangzhou. Polii and Maheswari played at the

in Hyderabad, India, as 13th seeds. Their journey at the championships stopped in the third round with defeat to the 2008 Olympic gold medalists, the 5th seeded Du Jing and Yu Yang in straight games 20–22, 12–21. She later managed to reach the semi-finals in the

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and

, but was beaten by Chinese pair Ma Jin and Wang Xiaoli in both tournaments. In December, Polii participated at the

Vientiane Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...

, Laos. She won the silver medal in the women's team, and as second seeds in the individual women's doubles event, she and Maheswari had a bye in the first round, but their progress was stopped by young Thai pair

Savitree Amitrapai Savitree Amitrapai (; born 19 November 1988) is a Thai badminton player. She competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Achievements Asian Championships ''Women's doubles'' SEA Games ''Women's doubles'' ''Mixed d ...

and Vacharaporn Munkit in the quarter-finals. As a pair with Maheswari, she spent time inside the top 10 of the BWF rankings. In January 2010, Polii was crowned a double champion at the 2009 National Championships, winning the women's doubles with Meiliana Jauhari, and the mixed doubles with

Tontowi Ahmad Tontowi Ahmad (born 18 July 1987) is a retired Indonesian badminton player. He plays for PB. Djarum, a badminton club in Kudus, Central Java and joined the club in 2005. Tontowi Ahmad rose to prominence in the world badminton in 2010 when he pa ...

. As a new pair, the Polii–Jauhari partnership were considered successful at the Super Series stage, they were the semi-finalists in the Singapore Open; quarter-finalists in All England, Indonesia Open, and China Masters. The pair were also the finalists in the

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

and Indonesia Grand Prix Gold. She also was a quarter-finalist at the Asian Championships both in the women's doubles with Jauhari and the mixed doubles with Ahmad, and part of the national team that won the bronze medal at the

and

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes of Asia. The Games were regulated by Asian Games Federation from the 1951 Asian Games, first Games in New Delhi, India in 1951, until ...

. At the end of the season, she was ranked as women's doubles world number 9 in the BWF World ranking, and number 8 in the Super Series ranking, made her able to compete at the Super Series Finals in Taipei, though she did not advance to the semi-final, after placed third in the group stage. In 2011, Polii alongside Meiliana Jauhari was not able to win a title. Her best results at the Super Series event was the semi-finals in the

India Open The India Open is an annual badminton event which has been held in India since 2008 and is a BWF World Tour Super 750 international badminton tournament. Its first three editions were designated as Grand Prix Gold events. In 2011, it was upgr ...

; she was also a quarter-finalist in

and Indonesia Open. In the second round of the Indonesia Open, a Super Series Premier event, Polii received a yellow card from the umpire, for taking too much time during a close match against Ma Jin and Pan Pan. At the Grand Prix event, she was a finalist in the Chinese Taipei Open; semi-finalist in

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

and Swiss Open. In the final of the Chinese Taipei Open against Korean pair

Ha Jung-eun Ha Jung-eun (; born 26 April 1987) is a women's and mixed doubles badminton player from South Korea. Ha was competed at the 2006, 2010 Asian Games, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Together with the Korean national women's team, they won the Ube ...

and Kim Min-jung, Polii had to retire in the third game, and undergo treatment at the hospital, after sustaining a right shoulder injury in the second game. The injury then made Polii often struggled with the backhand serve. In August, Polii and Jauhari competed at the

in London. The duo lost in the quarter-finals to

and Satoko Suetsuna, worsening their head-to-head record against that pair to 0–4. Polii was part of the national team that won the bronze medal at the

, where Indonesia lost in the semi-finals to Denmark by a score of 1–3. In 2012, Polii started the season by making the quarter-finals in the Korea Open Super Series Premier with her partner Meiliana Jauhari. She later was defeated in the early rounds of some tournaments, including the Super Series event of

, All England, and the

. In June, she reached the semi-finals of

and the Singapore Open. She managed to reduce her head-to-head deficit against the Japanese pair

and Satoko Suetsuna to 1–4, after she and Jauhari beat them in quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open. At the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, Polii and her partner Meiliana Jauhari, along with

Jung Kyung-eun Jung Kyung-eun (; or ; born 20 March 1990) is a South Korean professional badminton player. She was the 2016 Summer Olympics bronze medalist in the women's doubles event. Career Jung Kyung-eun began her career competing in singles, but now ...

and

Kim Ha-na Kim Ha-na ( or ; born 27 December 1989) is a South Korean badminton player. She was the mixed doubles gold medalist at the 2013 Asian Championships, and was part of the national team that won the Sudirman Cup in 2017. Kim won her first Supers ...

and Kim Min-jung of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, and Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang of

were disqualified from the competition for "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" following matches the previous evening during which they threw the match. Greysia Polii and her partner Meiliana Jauhari played against South Korea's

and Kim Min-jung. Indonesia filed an appeal to the case, but it was withdrawn.

2013–2015: First Grand Prix Gold, Super Series, and Asian Games champion

In 2013, Polii started the season with Meiliana Jauhari, but was defeated in the initial round of

and Malaysia Open. Polii later paired with youngster Anggia Shitta Awanda, a silver medalist at the 2011 World Junior Championships. The Polii-Awanda partnership did not last long, with their best result in four tournaments being the quarter-finals of the

New Zealand Open The New Zealand Open is the premier men's golf tournament in New Zealand. It has been a regular fixture on the PGA Tour of Australasia tournament schedule since the 1970s. The 2019 event was the 100th edition of the tournament. Since 2014 it has ...

. In March, Polii was elected to serve a four-year term as a member of BWF Athletes' Commission to represent the needs and views of athletes to the BWF council and committees. In preparation for Indonesia's participation in the

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

, Polii resumed her partnership with Nitya Krishinda Maheswari. In their first game back together in Kuala Lumpur, the pair managed to contribute one point for Indonesia against India. At the second tournament for Polii and Maheswari after four years separated, she finally won her first Grand Prix Gold title in the Thailand Open. She and Maheswari beat Japanese pair Yuriko Miki and

Koharu Yonemoto is a retired Japanese badminton player who has been affiliated with Hokuto Bank. She was the women's doubles bronze medalist at the 2018 BWF World Championships, 2018 World Championships, and the silver medalist at the Badminton at the East Asian ...

in the final with the score of 21–7, 21–13. At the Super Series event, they later finished as semi-finalists in

and the

; also quarter-finalists in Indonesia Open and China Masters. In the French Open, she and Maheswari beat the world number one and first seeded pairing from China, Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang in a close rubber game, 21–17, 14–21, 23–21. In December, she won her third women's doubles silver medal at the

held in Myanmar. In 2014, Polii began the season as a semi-finalist in the Korea Open and quarter-finalist in the Malaysia Open with Nitya Krishinda Maheswari. In March, she became a finalist in the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold after beating the first seeded

Christinna Pedersen Christinna Pedersen (born 12 May 1986) is a Danish badminton player. Career Christinna Pedersen is a right-handed doubles specialist. From 2008 onwards, Pedersen paired with Joachim Fischer Nielsen in mixed doubles. The pair gained two Euro ...

and Kamilla Rytter Juhl in the quarter-finals and the 7th seeded Luo Ying and Luo Yu in the semi-finals. Later she and Maheswari were defeated by the 2nd seeded Bao Yixin and Tang Jinhua 21–19, 16–21, 13–21. In four meetings against Bao and Tang, each match had ended with a rubber game, and after the loss in Switzerland, the head-to-head record between the pairs stood at 0–4. At the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open, she and Maheswari were defeated for fifth time by Bao and Tang, this time losing in two close games 20–22, 20–22. In May, she participated at the

held in New Delhi, but the team were eliminated in the quarter-finals. In June, she competed in the Indonesia Open in the women's doubles with Maheswari and mixed doubles with

Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (born 2 August 1995) is an Indonesian former badminton player who was ranked world number 1 in the men's doubles by the Badminton World Federation. Considered as one of the best players of his generation, he won the men' ...

. In both events, she lost in the second round, but in the mixed doubles, she and Sukamuljo were able to upset the defending champions and world number one Zhang Nan and

in the first round with the score of 15–21, 21–18, 23–21. In July 2014, Polii claimed her second BWF Grand Prix Gold title with Nitya Krishinda Maheswari in the Chinese Taipei Open, beating Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang in the final. She qualified to compete in the

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, but lost to Reika Kakiiwa and

in the quarter-finals. In September, Polii won the women's doubles gold medal at the

in Incheon, South Korea, partnered with Maheswari. En route to the gold medal, she and Maheswari beat 3rd seeds Kakiiwa and Maeda in the quarter-finals, 2nd seeds Tian Qing and

in the semi-finals, and 1st seeds

Misaki Matsutomo is a Japanese badminton player who is a doubles specialist. She won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympic women's doubles alongside Ayaka Takahashi. Despite playing doubles, she was also a finalist in girls' singles at the 2010 BWF World ...

and

Ayaka Takahashi is a retired Japanese badminton player who was affiliated with Unisys badminton team. She is an Olympic Games gold medalist, two-time Asian Champion, two-time Asian Games silver medalist, and World Championship bronze medalist. Playing for the ...

in the final. After finishing as quarter-finalists in the China Open, and semi-finalists in the Hong Kong Open, she and Maheswari played in the Dubai World Superseries Finals, but had to retire from the competition due to an injury suffered by Maheswari in the opening match against Kakiiwa and Maeda. In 2015, Polii opened the season as a quarter-finalist in the Malaysia Masters partnered with Nitya Krishinda Maheswari. She and her partner were also eliminated in the quarter-finals of All England,

, and Australia Open. In May, she was part of the Indonesia team that won the bronze medal of

in Dongguan, China. In June, she and Maheswari made it to the final of the Indonesia Open, but they were not able to win the title after losing to Tian Qing and Tang Jinhua in the final. Polii and Maheswari managed to retain their title in the Chinese Taipei Open after beating world number one

and

in the semi-finals, and the second seeded world number 3 Luo Ying and Luo Yu in the final. In August, Polii and Maheswari won a bronze medal in the

in Jakarta. A month later, they then captured their first Super Series title in the Korea Open. At several Super Series tournaments at the end of 2015, she finished as a semi-finalist in French,

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

, and Dubai World Superseries Finals, and as a finalist in a Grand Prix Gold event, the Indonesian Masters. She and Maheswari ended the season as world number 3 in the BWF World rankings.

2016: World number 2, and Rio Olympics

In January, Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari reached a career high as world number 2 in the women's doubles. She and Maheswari started the season in March, and finished as semi finalists in the German Open, losing in the final to Thai pair

Puttita Supajirakul Puttita Supajirakul (; born 29 March 1996) is a Thai badminton player. She reached a career high as world number 9 in the women's doubles. Supajirakul was the women's doubles bronze medalists at the Asian, and World Juniors and also at the BWF ...

and

Sapsiree Taerattanachai Sapsiree Taerattanachai (; ; born 18 April 1992) is a Thai badminton player. She claimed titles in the mixed doubles with Dechapol Puavaranukroh at the 2017 SEA Games and at the 2021 World Championships. Sapsiree and Dechapol made history as th ...

in a close rubber game. In April, the duo also reached the semi-finals in

and the Malaysia Open, and then they won their second Super Series title together in the Singapore Open without stepping on court, after their opponents

and

withdrew from the final match due to an injury suffered by Matsutomo in the semi-finals. Polii and Maheswasi won the bronze medal in Asian Championships held in Wuhan, losing in the semi-finals to Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao in a close rubber game by the score of 21–13, 19–21, 22–24. The match lasted two hours, 41 minutes, setting a record for the longest badminton match ever. In May, she alongside the Indonesian women's team competed in the

in Kunshan, China, but the team lost in the quarter-finals to South Korea. In June, Polii and Maheswari finished as runners-up in the

Australian Open The Australian Open (stylized ΛO) is a tennis tournament organised by Tennis Australia annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. It is chronologically the first of the four Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Sl ...

, defeated by Bao Yixin and Chen Qingchen. She made her second appearance at the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas. Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city wa ...

, this time with Maheswari. The duo won three matches in the group stage and advanced to the knocked-out stage. In the quarter-finals, they lost to Chinese pair Tang Yuanting and Yu Yang in straight games 11–21, 14–21. At the European tour in October, she and her partner reached the semi-finals in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

and quarter-finals in the

. The duo were qualified for the BWF Superseries Finals. However, they withdrew from the tournament due to Maheswari's scheduled knee surgery and their position was taken by

Vivian Hoo Vivian Hoo Kah Mun (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ''Hí Kâ-vùn''; born 19 March 1990) is a Malaysian former badminton player. She is the elder sister of Hoo Pang Ron, who is also a Malaysian badminton player. Career Teamed-up with Woon Khe Wei in th ...

and

Woon Khe Wei Janice Woon Khe Wei (born 18 March 1989) is a Malaysian former badminton player in the doubles event. Career Her regular partner was Vivian Hoo. Together, they had ranked as high as No. 9 worldwide. They won the gold medal at the 2014 Comm ...

2017: New partner, French Open and second Thailand Open title

Due to an injury suffered by Maheswari, Polii tried partnerships with Rosyita Eka Putri Sari and Rizki Amelia Pradipta. Together with Putri Sari, she reached the semi-finals in the

Thailand Masters The Thailand Masters was a professional snooker tournament. Previously known as Asian Open and Thailand Open, it was a Snooker world rankings, ranking tournament from 1989/90 to 2001/02. An event called the ''Thailand Masters'' also formed part o ...

, losing to Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, while with Pradipta, the duo lost in the second round of the European tour in the

, All England and Swiss Open. In May, Polii partnered with Apriyani Rahayu, and they competed as a new pair at the

in Gold Coast, Australia. Even though they had only been paired for about a month, the duo won their first title in the Thailand Open after defeating the home pair Chayanit Chaladchalam and Phataimas Muenwong in straight games 21–12, 21–12 in the final. They also won the Superseries title at the

, just five months into their partnership. Other achievements by Polii and Rahayu in 2017 were runner-up in

, semi-finalists in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, and quarter-finalists in Korea Open. Polii also helped the Indonesia women's team win the bronze medal at the

held in Kuala Lumpur, unfortunately, in the individual women's doubles event, she and Rahayu lost in the first round to eventual champion

Jongkolphan Kititharakul Jongkolphan Kititharakul (; born 1 March 1993) is a Thai badminton player who specialized in doubles. She was the women's doubles gold medalist at the 2017 SEA Games, also part of the team that clinched the women's team gold medals in 2015, 2017 ...

and

Rawinda Prajongjai Rawinda Prajongjai (; born 29 June 1993) is a Thai badminton player. She was part of the national women's team that clinched the gold medal at the 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023 SEA Games; and also won the women's doubles title in 2017. Started ...

of Thailand. The Polii and Rahayu partnership, first paired in May, reached a career high as world number 10 in the BWF World rankings in November.

2018: India Open and third Thailand Open title

In January, Polii and Apriyani Rahayu began the season by finishing as runners-up in the Indonesia Masters, losing to second seeded

and

in the final. A month later, the duo played as the third seeds in the

and won the title after beating the first-seeded

and Kamilla Rytter Juhl in the semi-finals, and the second-seeded

and

in the final. She featured in the Indonesian women's team that won bronze at the Asia Team Championships held in

Alor Setar Alor Setar ( Kedah Malay: ) is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to the third-tallest ...

and were quarter-finalists in the

in Bangkok. In July, she and her partner lost in the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open to Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota, but a week later, she won her third Thailand Open title, as she and Rahayu defended the title they had won in Thailand the previous year, when the event was known as the Grand Prix. In August, the duo won the bronze medal at the

in Nanjing, and further bronze medals at the

in the women's doubles and team events. In the remainder of the 2018 tour, she and Rahayu only reached the semi-finals in

, French,

, and quarter-finals in the Fuzhou China Open. The duo achieved their career high as world number 3 in the BWF rankings in September.

2019–2022: Second India Open, first SEA Games, home soil title and Olympic Games gold medal

Polii opened the 2019 season as a finalist in the Malaysia Masters with Apriyani Rahayu. In the semi-finals, they beat their arch-rivals

and

in a close rubber game, improving their head-to-head record against the Japanese pair to 2–8. A week later, they again lost to Matsutomo and Takahashi in the Indonesia Masters. They led 18–10 in the first game, but lost it 20–22, eventually losing the match in a close rubber game. In March, she and Rahayu lost in the quarter-finals of both the

and All England Open. Polii and Rahayu then clinched their second

title defeating Chow Mei Kuan and Lee Meng Yean in the final. In May, she alongside the Indonesia team finished as semi-finalists in the

in Nanning, settling for the bronze medal. In June, she and Rahayu advanced to the semi-finals of the

after beating the first seeded, world number one

Mayu Matsumoto is a Japanese badminton player. Born in Hokkaido, she graduated from Shiritsu Towanomorisanai High School. She was part of the Hokuto Bank team. Matsumoto was awarded as the 2018 Most Improved Player of the Year by the BWF together with her pa ...

and

Wakana Nagahara is a Japanese badminton player. She is a two-time world champion in the women's doubles. Nagahara attended Aomori Yamada High School, and was part of the Japanese national junior team that won the bronze medals at the 2013, 2014 Asian and 2014 ...

in the quarter-finals, but the duo were beaten by Chinese pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, the fifth defeat in seven meetings between them. At the

in Basel, Switzerland, she and her partner won the bronze medal, after defeat in the semi-finals to eventual champions Matsumoto and Nagahara. After the World Championships, her coach, Eng Hian, evaluated that she and Rahayu had fallen short of their previous standard. In the end of 2019 season, their best results were only the semi-finalists in Chinese Taipei Open, after that, they often lost in the initial stage. She finally won her first women's doubles gold medal at the

, having made her debut at the Games 14 years ago. She and Rahayu defeated Chayanit Chaladchalam and Phataimas Muenwong of Thailand 21–3, 21–18. Greysia-Apriyani-Juara-Indonesia-Masters-130120-app-1

Greysia-Apriyani-Juara-Indonesia-Masters-130120-app-1

In 2020, Polii and Apriyani Rahayu who ranked as world number eight started their tour in the Malaysia Masters. At that tournament, they finished as semi-finalists defeated by Chinese pair Li Wenmei and Zheng Yu in a rubber game. A week later in the Indonesia Masters, Polii won her first ever international title in Indonesia, after she and Rahayu triumphed in a thrilling match against

Maiken Fruergaard Maiken Fruergaard Sørensen (born 11 May 1995) is a Danish badminton player, specializing in doubles play. As a junior player, she was the gold medalists at the 2013 European Junior Championships in the team and mixed doubles events, and in 2014 ...

and Sara Thygesen of Denmark. In February, she won her second title of the year by winning the Barcelona Spain Masters. In the final, she and Rahayu defeated Gabriela and

Stefani Stoeva Stefani Stoeva (; born 23 September 1995) is a Bulgarian badminton player specializing in doubles. Her current partner is her older sister, Gabriela Stoeva. They competed at the 2016, 2020 and the 2024 Summer Olympics. The duo together have won ...

of Bulgaria in a rubber game. In March All England Open, she and her partner lost in the first round to Korean pair Chang Ye-na and Kim Hye-rin in straight games. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, numerous tournaments on the 2020 BWF World Tour were either cancelled or rescheduled for later in the year. In June, Polii then took part at the PBSI home tournament partnered with Febby Valencia Dwijayanti Gani. The duo finished third at that tournament. Polii returned in the international competitions at the 2020 Asian Leg tournament in January 2021. Together with Rahayu, she won her first ever BWF Super 1000 tournament, the Yonex Thailand Open. She dedicated the title to her elder brother, Rickettsia, a father-figure to her ever since their father's death when she was a child, who died after Polii's wedding in December 2020. A week later in the semi-finals of the Toyota Thailand Open, Polii and Rahayu fell in two games to Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan of South Korea. The duo then played at the World Tour Finals, but was eliminated in the group stage. In 2021, Polii scheduled to participating at the All England Open, but later Indonesia team were forced to withdraw from the competition by BWF after the team members will self-isolate for 10 days from the date of their inbound flight after an anonym person traveling onboard tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. Polii qualified to compete in the women's doubles event at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. She competed in her third straight

with debutant Apriyani Rahayu. In the final, they defeated the 2017 World Champions Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan in two straight games, 21–19, and 21–15. Polii and Rahayu became the first unseeded pair to win the gold medal in women's doubles. This was Indonesia's first Olympic Games gold in women's doubles. At 33 years and 356 days, Polii is the oldest female badminton player to win a gold medal at the Olympics. With this win,

became just the second country after China to have won gold medals in all five disciplines of

badminton at the Summer Olympics Badminton had its debut as an official event on the 1992 Summer Olympics and has been contested in eight Olympiads. 74 different nations have appeared in the Olympic badminton competitions, with 17 appearing all nine times. It is governed by the ...

. After her Olympic success, the Student Sports Training Center in Jakarta was named after Polii and fellow olympian Apriyani Rahayu. In December 2021, Polii was elected as BWF Athletes' Commission, and has been appointed as the chair of the commission in February 2022. Polii officially announced her retirement from the international badminton tournament at the Istora Senayan on 12 June 2022.

Awards and nominations

Achievements

Olympic Games

''Women's doubles''

BWF World Championships

''Women's doubles''

Asian Games

''Women's doubles''

Asian Championships

''Women's doubles''

SEA Games

''Women's doubles''

IBF World Junior Championships

''Girls' doubles'' ''Mixed doubles''

Asian Junior Championships

''Girls' doubles''

BWF World Tour (6 titles, 3 runners-up)

The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018, is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the

Badminton World Federation The Badminton World Federation, aka BWF, is the international governing body for the sport of badminton approved by the International Olympic Committee. It was founded on 5 July 1934 as the International Badminton Federation with nine member ...

(BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100. ''Women's doubles''

BWF Superseries (3 titles, 6 runners-up)

The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the

(BWF). BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011. Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year. ''Women's doubles'' ''Mixed doubles'' : BWF Superseries Finals tournament :

BWF Superseries The BWF Super Series was a series of Grade 2 badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF). It was launched on December 14, 2006 and implemented in 2007. Since 2011, the Super Series includes two levels of tournament, S ...

Premier tournament :

tournament

BWF Grand Prix (5 titles, 6 runners-up)

The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the

(BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017. The World Badminton Grand Prix was sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation from 1983 to 2006. ''Women's doubles'' : BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament : BWF & IBF Grand Prix tournament

Performance timeline

National team

* ''Junior level'' * ''Senior level''

Individual competitions

Junior level

In the junior international tournament, Polii won bronze medals in the girls' doubles at the 2004 World, 2005 Asian Junior Championships and also a silver medal in the mixed at the 2004 World Junior Championships. ''Girls' doubles'' ''Mixed doubles''

Senior level

In the senior level tournament, Polii won gold medals in the

, 2019 SEA Games, and at the

. She also won 14 individual titles in the BWF tour equivalent events.

=Women's doubles

=Mixed doubles

Record against selected opponents

Record against year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists.

Nitya Krishinda Maheswari

Meiliana Jauhari

Apriyani Rahayu

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Polii, Greysia 1987 births Living people Badminton players from Jakarta Indonesian Christians Minahasa people Indonesian female badminton players Badminton players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Badminton players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Badminton players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic badminton players for Indonesia Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Indonesia Olympic medalists in badminton Badminton players at the 2006 Asian Games Badminton players at the 2010 Asian Games Badminton players at the 2014 Asian Games Badminton players at the 2018 Asian Games Asian Games gold medalists for Indonesia Asian Games bronze medalists for Indonesia Asian Games medalists in badminton Medalists at the 2010 Asian Games Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games Competitors at the 2005 SEA Games Competitors at the 2007 SEA Games Competitors at the 2009 SEA Games Competitors at the 2013 SEA Games Competitors at the 2017 SEA Games Competitors at the 2019 SEA Games SEA Games gold medalists for Indonesia SEA Games silver medalists for Indonesia SEA Games bronze medalists for Indonesia SEA Games medalists in badminton