Svetlana Zilberman

(Redirected from Svetlana Belyasova)

Svetlana Zilberman (née Beliasova, born 10 May 1958) is an Israeli badminton player and coach.[1] In 1986, she won a bronze medal at the European Badminton Championships in the women's singles event. She also serves as coach of her son Olympic badminton player Misha Zilberman (along with her husband), and as coach of Israel's national badminton team

Svetlana Zilberman
Personal information
Birth nameSvetlana Beliasova
CountrySoviet Union
Israel
Born (1958-05-10) 10 May 1958 (age 66)
Belarus
ResidenceIsrael
Height1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
HandednessRight
Mixed doubles
Highest ranking63 (2 April 2019)
Current ranking76 (17 June 2024)
Medal record
Women's badminton
Representing  Soviet Union
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1986 Uppsala Women's singles
BWF profile

Early life; European Championships bronze medal

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She was born in Belarus. She began playing badminton at the age of 12, which is how she met her future husband Michael, who was her coach.[2][3][4]

When she lived in the Soviet Union, she was one of the top European women's singles players.[5] When she was 25 years old, she was for a time considered too old for the Soviet Union national badminton team.[6] Nevertheless, at the USSR International she won the women's singles in 1979, 1982, 1983, and 1986, the women's doubles in 1983, 1985, 1987, and 1989, and the mixed doubles in 1979, 1982, 1983, and 1985. In 1981 she won the gold medals in the women's singles and women's doubles at the French Open. In 1982 she won the gold medals in the women's doubles and mixed doubles at the Czechoslovakian International. In 1986 she won the gold medals in the women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at the Hungarian International.

In 1986, she also won a bronze medal at the European Badminton Championships in the women's singles event.[7]

Israel

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Zilberman, her husband, and their son Misha Zilberman immigrated to Israel in 1991.[2] She and her husband run two badminton clubs in Israel, and she also serves as coach of her son Misha (along with her husband), and as coach of Israel's national badminton team.[5] Misha describes his mother as "the most important person in my career, the inspiration for my whole life."[5] Misha is also a badminton player, and has competed at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Summer Olympics, and is slated to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics.[8][9]

After emigrating to Israel, she won the Israeli National Badminton Championships 17 times in the women's singles and doubles event, and 21 times in the mixed doubles event, as of 2016.[10]

She won the gold medals in the 1997 Cyprus International women's singles, mixed doubles, and women's doubles, and in the 1998 Israel Open women's singles, mixed doubles, and women's doubles. At the 2003 IBF World Senior Championships in the age 40+ category, she won gold medals in the women's singles and women's doubles.

In 2009, Zilberman first played mixed doubles with her son, in the world championships; at the same time, she is his coach.[6] Misha said that their relationship on court is "like any mixed doubles players," as they discuss how to improve and win the match, but that off the court "she is my coach, so there is no discussion."[6]

They won the mixed doubles gold medals at the 2016 Suriname International in Paramaribo, Suriname, at the 2017 Lagos International in Lagos, Nigeria, and at the 2018 Ethiopia International in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the 2019 BWF World Senior Championships in the age 60+ category, she won gold medals in the women's singles and women's doubles, and at the 2021 BWF World Senior Championships in the age 60+ category, she won the women's singles.

At the BWF World Championships 2022 in August, at the age of 64 years old Zilberman became the oldest player to win a match in competition history.[11] She and her 33-year-old son Misha defeated Egyptian Olympians Adham Hatem Elgamal/Doha Hany.[11][12] The next-youngest badminton player on the list was 38 years old.[5]

Achievements

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European Championships

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Women's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
1986 Fyrishallen, Uppsala, Sweden   Helen Troke 3–11, 7–11   Bronze

BWF International (3 titles, 1 runner-up)

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Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2016 Suriname International   Misha Zilberman   Alistair Espinoza
  Solangel Guzman
21–14, 21–15   Winner
2017 Lagos International   Misha Zilberman   Duarte Nuno Anjo
  Sofia Setim
20–22, 21–16, 21–7   Winner
2017 Ethiopia International   Misha Zilberman   Sifeddine Larbaoui
  Linda Mazri
Walkover   Winner
2017 Zambia International   Misha Zilberman   Jonathan Persson
  Kate Foo Kune
Walkover   Runner-up
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

IBF International

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Women's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result
1979 USSR International   Sirisriro Patama   Winner
1981 French Open   Gillian Clark   Winner
1981 USSR International   Christine Magnusson 11–7, 7–11, 6–11   Runner-up
1982 USSR International   Tatyana Litvinenko 11–5, 12–10   Winner
1983 USSR International   Tatyana Litvinenko 11–4, 7–11, 11–7   Winner
1984 USSR International   Tatyana Litvinenko 4–11, 11–2, 5–11   Runner-up
1985 USSR International   Tatyana Litvinenko 3–11, 9–12   Runner-up
1985 Mozambique International   Elena Rybkina 12–9, 11–8   Winner
1986 USSR International   Madhumita Bisht 2–10, 8–11, 11–3   Winner
1986 Hungarian International   Vlada Belyutina 11–0, 10–12, 11–2   Winner
1989 Norwegian International   Camilla Martin 2–11, 3–11   Runner-up
1997 Cyprus International   Diana Knekna 11–1, 11–3   Winner
1998 Israel International   Diana Knekna 11–0, 11–1   Winner
1998 Amor International   Judith Meulendijks 4–11, 0–11   Runner-up
2000 Cyprus International   Margarita Mladenova 8–11, 8–11   Runner-up

Women's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1981 French Open   Vard Poghosyan   Winner
1982 Czechoslovakian International   Petra Michalowsky   Monika Cassens
  Angela Michalowski
15–11, 16–17, 15–11   Winner
1982 USSR International   Ludmila Suslo   Wendy Massam
  Gillian Gowers
11–15, 11–15   Runner-up
1983 USSR International   Lyudmila Okuneva   Monika Cassens
  Petra Michalowsky
15–9, 15–5   Winner
1985 USSR International   Elena Rybkina   Tatyana Litvinenko
  Viktoria Pron
15–8, 9–15, 15–5   Winner
1985 Mozambique International   Elena Rybkina   Bridget Ibenero
  Vlada Belyutina
15–0, 15–7   Winner
1986 USSR International   Irina Serova   Tatyana Litvinenko
  Viktoria Pron
5–15, 18–13, 12–15   Runner-up
1986 Hungarian International   Vlada Belyutina   Monika Cassens
  Petra Michalowsky
15–12, 15–7   Winner
1987 USSR International   Elena Rybkina   Charlotte Madsen
  Lisbet Stuer-Lauridsen
15–2, 17–14   Winner
1989 Norwegian International   Irina Serova   Camilla Martin
  Lotte Olsen
10–15, 10–15   Runner-up
1989 USSR International   Irina Serova   Margit Borg
  Astrid Crabo
17–14, 15–5   Winner
1997 Cyprus International   Shirley Daniel   Elena Iasonos
  Diana Knekna
16–17, 15–4, 15–3   Winner
1998 Israel International   Diana Koleva   Elena Iasonos
  Diana Knekna
15–1, 15–2   Winner

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1979 USSR International   Anatoliy Skripko   Viktor Shvachko
  Nadezhda Litvincheva
  Winner
1982 Czechoslovakian International   Anatoliy Skripko   Edgar Michalowski
  Monika Cassens
15–7, 15–11   Winner
1982 USSR International   Vitaliy Shmakov   Edgar Michalowski
  Monika Cassens
15–10, 15–11   Winner
1983 USSR International   Vitaliy Shmakov   Edgar Michalowski
  Monika Cassens
15–8, 15–10   Winner
1985 Mozambique International   Anatoliy Skripko   Clement Ogbo
  Dayo Oyewusi
15–1, 15–4   Winner
1985 USSR International   Sergey Sevryukov   Stefan Frey
  Mechtild Hagemann
15–2, 15–12   Winner
1986 Hungarian International   Vitaliy Shmakov   Thomas Mundt
  Monika Cassens
15–10, 15–10   Winner
1997 Cyprus International   Leon Pougatch   Peter Jensen
  Karin Knudsen
3–15, 15–2, 15–13   Winner
1998 Israel International   Leon Pougatch   Nir Yusim
  Diana Knekna
15–4, 15–5   Winner
2000 Cyprus International   Leon Pougatch   Konstantin Dobrev
  Dobrinka Smilanova
15–4, 15–5   Winner

References

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  1. ^ "Players: Svetlana Zilberman". Badminton World Federation. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b Arie Livnat (22 July 2012). "Birdie in hand, Olympics in bush: Israel's self-made badminton champ". Haaretz.
  3. ^ Alon Sinai (July 22, 2012). "Introducing Israel's Olympians: Misha Zilberman; The 23-year-old will be one of 40 singles players to compete in London and will be adding another illustrious chapter to his family's history". The Jerusalem Post.
  4. ^ Alon Melamaed, Boris Weissman (July 28, 2013). "Norm Nixon coaching Australia's Masters". The Jerusalem Post.
  5. ^ a b c d "Feature: A coach, a mother, a partner and a life inspiration". Xinhua. August 25, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "BWF Worlds: Mum's the word for record-breaking shuttler Zilberman". The Times of India. August 23, 2022.
  7. ^ "European Championships, Individuals". Badminton Europe. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Players: Svetlana Zilberman". Indian Express Limited. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Misha Zilberman". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  10. ^ "Israel Yearbook". Badminton Europe. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Dad, Mum, Badminton". bwfbadminton.com. October 4, 2022.
  12. ^ "Misha Zilberman," /bwfworldtourfinals.bwfbadminton.com.
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