Judy Devlin Hashman, who won the All England badminton singles title 10 times, more than any other player, male or female, died on Monday in Oxford, England. She is 88 years old.
Her son Geoff Hashman confirmed the death, saying she had been receiving cancer hospice care.
Before badminton established a world championship or participated in the Olympics, the All England Open Badminton Championship was the pinnacle of the sport. Hashman won the women’s singles title in that event for the first time in 1954 at the age of 18. She later set nine more records, the last in 1967.
She also won seven women’s doubles titles, six of which were with her sister Susan Devlin, later known as Susan Peard.
Judy Devlin was born on October 22, 1935 in Winnipeg, Canada, the daughter of J. Frank Devlin, an accomplished badminton coach in several sports, and Grace (Steed) Devlin, a scientist, a tennis player good enough to play doubles at Wimbledon. The family moved to Maryland when Judy was young.
Her total of 17 titles at the All England championships ranks third behind Sir George Thomas and her father, who both played in the 1920s.
She also plays field hockey, lacrosse and tennis, but badminton is her number 1 priority. “I started playing badminton at the age of 7, by choice,” she told the Badminton World Federation in 2020. Her father suggested playing tennis, but she “didn’t want that,” she said.
“A neighbor was playing badminton in the backyard,” she recalls. “I can clearly remember pointing over and saying: ‘That’s what I want to play. The name has a long name.” But I can’t remember the name.”
She recalled her father standing at the bottom of the hill and “I had to throw a ball into his hand without him having to move his arm.”
“It’s all guided by the tracking process,” she said. “That’s basically what gave me accuracy in badminton.”
After marrying George Cecil Kenneth Hashman, an Englishman named Dick who worked for the UK Atomic Energy Authority, in 1960, she began competing in tournaments under the name Judy Hashman.
She reached every All England final between 1954 and 1967 – except 1965, when she gave birth to Geoff two months earlier. (She still made it to the fourth round.)
In addition to her son Geoff, she is survived by another son, Joe; her sister, Miss Peard; and a grandson. Her husband died in 2021.
“Despite her remarkable athletic achievements, Mom remained humble and stayed out of the spotlight,” said Geoff Hashman.
For her final All England title in 1967, Hashman faced a formidable challenge from Noriko Takagi of Japan, who defeated her that year at the Uber Cup, a team competition. In the deciding set, Hashman fell behind 5-1 but fought back to record a 12-10 victory for his 10th title.
She also won 12 US singles titles, the last in 1967, after which she retired. “I accomplished what I set out to do.” she told Sports Illustrated at that time. “This game consumes you a lot both physically and mentally. I have nothing more to gain from it. And also, if you’re good at a sport, you don’t want to play less than your best, and I’m not willing to spend the time necessary to do that.”
Her achievements earned her a place in the International Badminton Hall of Fame.
Her game is known for its simplicity. “Dad always thought that the simplest shot for anything was the least tiring,” she told Sports Illustrated, “and that there was no point in having an elaborate shot.”
Because badminton is an amateur sport, Hashman supports himself by teaching English and geography at Josca Preparatory School (now Abingdon Prep) in Abingdon, England.
“You don’t play there for the money,” she said of the All England championship during one match. video interview. “If you play badminton, that’s what you want to do more than anything else. That’s enough.”
Given the costs, the sport is a net negative financially. “It’s a hobby,” she said. “And you spend money on your hobbies — everyone does that.”
Hashman said in retirement she rarely watches modern matches that offer prize money, although nothing like what tennis and other major sports pay. “It’s all physical; none of us could be that fit” as amateurs, she puts it one way 2020 videos Posted by All England Championship. “My exercise regimen is 10 minutes a day.”
In retirement, she wrote several books, including her autobiography, “The Badminton Road of a Champion.”
“By 1970, Hashman had achieved enough fame to appear on the popular BBC radio program “Desert Island Discs”. When asked what she wanted to take with her to a deserted island, she chose songs by Mitch Miller, Perry Como and Mario Lanza, with Richard Burton’s “Camelot” being her top choice. The book she chose was “Anthology of English Poetry” and her luxury item was a stamp album.
Although the tennis champion always receives more attention, Hashman said she has no regrets about her choice.
“Tennis is very slow; you have a lot of time to worry,” she told the Badminton World Federation. “Badminton is much faster, the brain has to work continuously, without resting.”
She added: “In terms of temperament, badminton suits me just like that. I can’t see this going around in circles, there’s plenty of time to do everything. Just get on with it and get it done.”
Derrick Taylor contributed reporting from London.
