Misha Zilberman

Misha Zilberman (Hebrew: מישה זילברמן; born 30 January 1989) is an Israeli badminton player.[1] He competed for Israel at the 2012 and the 2016 Summer Olympics, and also represented Israel at the 2015 and 2019 European Games.

Misha Zilberman מישה זילברמן
Personal information
Country	Israel
Born	(1989-01-30) 30 January 1989[1] Moscow, USSR
Residence	Ness Ziona, Israel[2]
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 ^1⁄2 in)[1]
Weight	62 kg (137 lb)[1]
Handedness	Right
Coach	Svetlana & Michael Zilberman
Men's singles
Career record	247 Win, 210 Loss
Highest ranking	39 (9 July 2019)
Current ranking	45 (1 October 2019)
Medal record Men's badminton Representing  Israel European Games 2019 Minsk Men's singles Maccabiah Games 2017 Jerusalem Mixed doubles 2013 Modiin Men's singles 2013 Modiin Mixed doubles
BWF profile
Website	mishazilberman.22web.org

Early and personal life

Zilberman was born in Moscow, Russia.[1][3] He is an only child of his father, Michael, and his mother, Svetlana.[1] His father was born in Russia in 1945, and made aliyah to Israel in 1991, with his wife and son Misha, and worked in Pardes Hannah and then in Rishon LeZion.[3][4] Svetlana was born in Belarus. She began playing badminton at the age of 12, which is how she met Michael, who was her coach.[4][5][6]

Both his parents come from athletic backgrounds. Zilberman was a member of the Soviet national floor gymnastics team until he retired as the result of an injury. He then became an assistant coach to the Soviet national team in badminton. Svetlana plays professional badminton.[1][4][6][7] Her greatest accomplishment was winning a bronze medal in the 1986 European Badminton Championships for the USSR.[1][4][5]

Zilberman served in the Israel Defense Forces from August 2007 to August 2010.[8] He lives in Ness Ziona, Israel.[2]

Badminton career

When he was still a baby Zilberman used to join his mother at her badminton practice, and with time he began playing himself.[5][9] At the age of 12 he began his serious daily training.[3][5][9] He began to compete in junior badminton tournaments in 2003.[2][1] His club is Kfar Maccabiah.[1] He is coached by both his parents, as his mother coaches him, and his father is head coach of Israel's national badminton team.[1][3][4][6]

Zilberman won the senior Israeli Badminton Championship when he was 16 years old, in 2004.[4][10] In 2006 and 2009 he played mixed doubles with his mother at the Badminton World Championships, as the Championships' first mother-son mixed doubles team.[3][11]

In 2011, Zilberman competed for six months for Odense in the professional league in Denmark.[3] In April 2012 he reached the finals of the Tahiti Air Nui International, improving his world ranking by 14 places.[4][12][13] In 2012, he won the Israeli Badminton Championship in both singles and mixed doubles (with his mother).[14] In May 2012 he was ranked # 64 internationally.[5]

Misha Zilberman (2012)

Zilberman competed for Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the first appearance by an Israeli badminton player in the Olympics.[6][9][15] Ranked 33rd in the Olympic rankings in singles, he came in 33rd in the Games.[1][4]

In July 2013 Zilberman won two gold medals at the 2013 Maccabiah Games, one in singles, one in mixed doubles with his mother.[6] In May 2015, he competed in mixed doubles with his mother, who was 56 years old, at the Dongguan, China – 2015 Vivo BWF Sudirman Cup.[16]

Zilberman represented Israel at the 2015 European Games in badminton in Men's singles.[1][5] He lost in the Round of 16 to Zvonimir Đurkinjak of Croatia in three sets.[1]

He competed for Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics in badminton.[17][17] Zilberman garnered Israel's first-ever win in Olympic badminton, beating Yuhan Tan of Belgium 22-20 and 22-12, but went 1-1 in his group and did not advance to the next round. Misha ranked 26 at the Olympic rankings in singles, he came in 14th at the Olympic Games.[17][18][19]

Zilberman won a gold medal at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in Mixed Doubles.[20]

Achievements

European Games

Men's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2019	Falcon Club, Minsk, Belarus	Anders Antonsen	9–21, 11–21	Bronze

BWF International Challenge/Series (12 titles, 9 runners-up)

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
2019	Lagos International	Nguyễn Tiến Minh	18–21, 23–25	Runner-up
2019	Brazil International	Brian Yang	21–17, 22–20	Winner
2018	Lagos International	Misbun Ramdan Misbun	11–21, 21–19, 21–12	Winner
2017	Zambia International	Jonathan Persson	21–15, 21–17	Winner
2017	Ethiopia International	Aditya Joshi	21–7, 21–19	Winner
2017	Mauritius International	Goh Giap Chin	19–21, 14–21	Runner-up
2016	Suriname International	Maxime Moreels	21–14, 12–21, 21–12	Winner
2015	Ethiopia International	Luka Wraber	21–13, 21–9	Winner
2015	Turkey International	Yuhan Tan	21–12, 13–21, 18–21	Runner-up
2014	Ethiopia International	Luka Wraber	11–7, 11–9, 11–6	Winner
2014	Lagos International	Luka Wraber	21–15, 21–12	Winner
2013	Hatzor International	Vladimir Malkov	21–17, 22–24, 10–21	Runner-up
2013	Mercosul International	Jan Frohlich	15–21, 16–21	Runner-up
2013	Peru International	Osleni Guerrero	21–17, 13–21, 11–21	Runner-up
2012	Suriname International	Osleni Guerrero	16–21, 21–18, 21–11	Winner
2012	Tahiti International	Tan Chun Seang	29–30, 8–21	Runner-up
2011	Botswana International	Edwin Ekiring	21–10, 16–21, 20–22	Runner-up

Mixed doubles

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

     BWF International Challenge tournament

     BWF International Series tournament

References

1. "Baku 2015 1St European Games – Athletes – ZILBERMAN Misha". Baku 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
2. "Misha ZILBERMAN". alltournaments.co.uk.
3. "Zilberman plants Israeli flag on badminton map". Reuters.
4. Arie Livnat (22 July 2012). "Birdie in hand, Olympics in bush: Israel's self-made badminton champ". Haaretz.
5. "Introducing Israel's Olympians: Misha Zilberman". The Jerusalem Post.
6. "Norm Nixon coaching Australia's Masters". The Jerusalem Post.
7. "Singapore Survive Spanish Assault – Vivo BWF Sudirman Cup Day 1 Session 1". Badminton World Federation.
8. "Misha Zilberman's Official website". 22web.org.
9. "Meet Team Israel: Misha Zilberman". The Times of Israel.
10. "Players Profile – Misha ZILBERMAN". BWF World Superseries.
11. Rod Gilmour (22 July 2009). "Nathan Robertson and Anthony Clark aim for success at World Championships". The Telegraph.
12. "TAHITI INT'L – No final kick for Bruce-Li". Badzine.net.
13. "Israeli Athlete Adds Name to Olympic List in London". Algemeiner.com.
14. "BadmintonEurope.com – Israel". badmintoneurope.com.
15. "Medal Count – Olympic Results & Medalists – IOC". london2012.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012.
16. "Intriguing Badminton in Dongguan – Vivo BWF Sudirman Cup 2015". Badminton World Federation.
17. Two Medals and Political Controversies: A Summary of Israel’s Rio OlympicsThe Jewish Press | TPS / Tazpit News Agency | 19 Av 5776 – 23 August 2016 | JewishPress.com
18. Sherwood, Andrew (13 August 2016). "Zilberman wins Israel's first Olympic badminton match". Jewish News. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
19. Singles' recap before Last 16
20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

• Misha Zilberman Facebook page