Chris Kinard

Presented by Joseph C. Alston:

I'm here to introduce one of my all time favorite National Champions, Chris Kinard.  But prior to his introduction, I'd like to present members of his immediate family, starting with his wife of many years, Utami.  Utami is also an outstanding athlete, having won the Indonesian National Singles Championship 4 times as well as the U.S. National Singles Championship and numerous other impressive titles.   She married Chris in 1977 and I met them at LAX when they first arrived here.   Utami couldn't speak a word of English, but she had the world's greatest smile; Chris couldn't speak a word of Indonesian.  Several weeks later I ran into Utami and asked her how she was doing.   She held her hands to her head and said, "head hurt all time!"   Today, Utami speaks perfect English and Chris still can't speak a word of Indonesian.

Next, I'd like to introduce his 15-year old daughter, Tori, a highly ranked Junior Tennis player who was named "top athlete" of her junior high school; next, his son, Travis, a freshman at UCLA on a Tennis Scholarship --  that pretty well speaks for itself.   Travis had been named MVP of the San Marino High School Tennis Team.

And now we get to our honoree, Chris.   He and his twin brother, Craig, were born in Pasadena, CA.   He graduated from UCLA and is currently vice president of the Relton Corporation, a manufacturing firm.   He is also the president and owner of an import/export firm.

I first met Chris when he was a junior at the Pasadena Badminton Club.   He was a fun kid with a good sense of humor, and he was a joy to help; that is, until he started beating me.   Then it wasn't so much fun anymore!  Chris was always a gentleman on the court; a good sport and a humble winner.  In addition to his outstanding record, which I'll give you in a minute, he has contributed to the game by running international tournaments, giving countless exhibitions over the years, and helping other juniors improve, including my own son, Tony.

Chris' outstanding record includes the following:  6 times U.S. Singles Champion (ranked number one 7 times), member of U.S. Thomas Cup Team from 1969 to 1982, playing #1 singles 4 times.

He also won the South African Open, Peruvian Open, Mexican Open, and played #1 Singles on the U.S. Pan American Team.   He was NCAA Intercollegiate Singles and Doubles Champion, representing UCLA.   He represented the U.S. in badminton events held in 14 different countries.

One of his most unique experiences was being the only badminton player to be included in the World Rackets Championships.   This event consisted of each athlete playing all the sports represented which included John McEnroe for tennis, as well as champions of other racquet sports.

Chris, with a record like this, you certainly deserve this honor.   As they say down south, "You sure done good,"   Congratulations!