Uriel Canjura

Uriel Francisco Canjura Artiga (born 12 September 2000) is a Salvadoran badminton player.^[4][5] He is a bronze medalist at the 2023 Pan American Games; and also the silver medalists at the 2023 and 2024 Pan Am Championships.

Uriel Canjura
Personal information
Country	El Salvador
Born	(2000-09-12) 12 September 2000 (age 24) Suchitoto, El Salvador.[1]
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)[2]
Weight	55 kg (121 lb)[2]
Handedness	Right[3]
Men's singles
Highest ranking	49 (7 November 2023)
Current ranking	52 (27 August 2024)
Medal record Men's badminton Representing  El Salvador Pan American Games 2023 Santiago Men's singles Pan Am Championships 2023 Kingston Men's singles 2024 Guatemala City Men's singles 2022 San Salvador Men's singles Junior Pan American Games 2021 Cali–Valle Boys' singles 2021 Cali–Valle Mixed doubles
BWF profile

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Canjura and the second or maternal family name is Artiga.

Career

Canjura started playing badminton at the age of 9, when his stepfather Andrés Ardón, who was also a member of the Salvadoran Badminton Federation, became his first coach. Initially, he used to play soccer but later switched to badminton. Developing his skills in the sport, he went on to represent El Salvador at the 2018 Youth Olympics, where he was also chosen to be the flag bearer for his country. He studied general high school at the Agustina Charvin School in San Salvador and graduated in 2018. In his career so far, he has won international titles in El Salvador, Brazil, and Suriname, besides winning a silver medal at the Pan American Championships in 2024.^[6] Canjura qualified to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics,^[7][8] and became the first ever Salvadoran badminton player at the Olympics.^[9] He was assigned as the country flag bearer during the parade of nations in the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.^[10]

Achievements

Pan American Games

Men's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
2023	Olympic Training Center, Santiago, Chile	Brian Yang	11–21, 10–21	Bronze	[11]

Pan Am Championships

Men's singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2022	Palacio de los Deportes Carlos "El Famoso" Hernández, San Salvador, El Salvador	Kevin Cordón	18–21, 21–18, 13–21	Bronze
2023	G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, Kingston, Jamaica	Brian Yang	10–21, 5–21	Silver
2024	Teodoro Palacios Flores Gymnasium, Guatemala City, Guatemala	Kevin Cordón	21–14, 17–21, 13–21	Silver

Junior Pan American Games

Boys' singles

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
2021	Pacific Valley Events Center, Yumbo, Valle, Colombia	Brian Yang	8–21, 6–21	Silver

Mixed doubles

Year	Venue	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2021	Pacific Valley Events Center, Yumbo, Valle, Colombia	Fátima Centeno	Brian Yang Rachel Chan	13–21, 14–21	Silver

BWF International Challenge/Series (5 titles, 5 runners-up)

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
2019	El Salvador International	Howard Shu	21–11, 11–21, 21–13	Winner
2021	El Salvador International	Donnians Oliveira	21–14, 21–12	Winner
2022	Brazil International	Bernardo Atilano	21–17, 21–15	Winner
2022	Guatemala International	Giovanni Toti	20–22, 20–22	Runner-up
2022	Peru International	Jonathan Matías	12–21, 15–21	Runner-up
2022	El Salvador International	Kevin Cordón	21–18, 21–23, 21–18	Winner
2023	Peru International	Fabio Caponio	11–21, 18–21	Runner-up
2023	Suriname International	Giovanni Toti	21–11, 21–12	Winner
2024	El Salvador International	Mark Alcala	14–21, 21–23	Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2017	Guatemala Future Series	Fátima Centeno	Jonathan Solís Nikté Sotomayor	15–21, 12–21	Runner-up

  BWF International Challenge tournament

  BWF International Series tournament

  BWF Future Series tournament

BWF Junior International (3 titles, 1 runner-up)

Boys' singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result
2016	Guatemala Junior International	Andrés Ramírez	21–12, 21–19	Winner
2016	Colombia Junior International	Christopher Martínez	21–17, 21–10	Winner
2018	Mexican Junior International	Fabrício Farias	19–21, 14–21	Runner-up

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result
2016	Colombia Junior International	Fátima Centeno	Yamit Gironza Tatiana Muñoz	21–12, 22–20	Winner

  BWF Junior International Challenge tournament

  BWF Junior International Series tournament

  BWF Junior Future Series tournament