Nyl Yakura
Personal Details
Personal Channels
Biography
Nyl Yakura has won four consecutive senior men’s doubles gold medals at the Pan American Championships with partner Jason Ho-Shue, as well as the Pan Am Games gold at Lima 2019. He also took home the silver medal in mixed doubles with partner Kristen Tsai from Lima 2019. That year would also include his highest finish at the BWF World Championships, making it to the round of 32 in men’s doubles for the first time.
One of his World Tour highlights is a semifinal appearance at the 2018 US Open, a Super 300 event, proving that despite being low ranked, the Canadian doubles team could compete with the best in the world. Yakura and Ho-Shue are the top-ranked team from the Pan American region in the BWF world rankings. They competed at their first Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020.
Yakura had hoped to compete at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, but he suffered a tear to a ligament in his ankle which took him out of the national trials for that team.
A Little More About Nyl
Getting into the Sport: Started competing in badminton at age 10… While watching an Indonesian badminton player celebrate his gold medal at Athens 2004, his desire to compete for Team Canada was sparked… Outside Interests: Began studying fitness and health promotion at Humber College before putting school on hiatus to focus on Tokyo 2020… Would like to become a strength and conditioning coach for high performance athletes… Odds and Ends: Collects fridge magnets and luggage stickers from each country he visits… Favourite quote “Blood, sweat, and respect. First two you give, last one you earn.” – Dwayne Johnson
Olympic Highlights
| Games | Sport | Event | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Tokyo | Badminton | Doubles - Men | T9 |
Notable International Results
Olympic Games: 2020 - T9th (doubles w/ Ho-Shue)
Pan American Games: 2019 - GOLD (doubles), SILVER (mixed doubles)
Commonwealth Games: 2018 – Quarterfinals (doubles), Round of 16 (mixed doubles), Quarterfinals (mixed team)
BWF World Championships: 2019 - Round of 32 (doubles), Round of 64 (mixed doubles); 2018 – Round of 64 (doubles); 2015 – Round of 64 (doubles), Round of 64 (mixed doubles); 2014 – Round of 64 (doubles)
Pan American Championships: 2021 – SILVER (doubles); 2019 – GOLD (doubles), BRONZE (mixed doubles); 2018 – GOLD (doubles), SILVER (mixed doubles); 2017 – GOLD (doubles), SILVER (mixed doubles); 2016 – GOLD (doubles), GOLD (mixed doubles), Round of 16 (singles); 2014 – Round of 16 (doubles), Round of 32 (mixed doubles); 2013 - SILVER (doubles), Round of 64 (singles); 2012 - Round of 16 (doubles), Round of 16 (singles)
BWF World Championships (junior): 2011 - Round of 64 (doubles), Round of 32 (mixed), Round of 64 (singles); 2010 - Round of 32 (doubles), Round of 128 (mixed), Qual Round of 64 (singles)
