One of the world’s most widely played games, badminton is a racquet sport played with a shuttlecock, a light, often feathered projectile which is hit at extremely high speeds. Badminton’s fast gameplay and the agility, accuracy, and quick reactions of its players make it an exciting spectator sport, with major events very well attended, particularly in Europe and East and South Asia.
📜 Badminton History
Shuttlecock sports have been played globally for hundreds of years, but it was the British version known as “battledore and shuttlecock” which gave us modern Badminton. The game soon gained popularity amongst British soldiers in Pune, India, and by the 1860’s it was being played at the Badminton House estate in Gloucestershire, England, where it cemented its name.
Today, badminton is one of the most popular amateur sports in the world, played by millions of people across the globe. Major professional tournaments are highly competitive and often attended by thousands of fans, with the game’s relatively simple gameplay and scoring system making it easily understandable. During professional events, the shuttlecock is hit at incredible speeds – sometimes over 400 kilometres-per-hour – as competitors tirelessly dart around the court. Speed, stamina, and strong hand-eye co-ordination are vital assets for any player.
💯 Badminton Format & Scoring
The objective of this indoor sport is simple: use a long-handled racquet to hit the shuttlecock – a lightweight, feathered or plastic projectile – over the net and to the ground on your opponent’s side of the court. Unlike in tennis, only 1 bounce is required to score a point, instead of 2. To initiate a passage of play – a rally – a player serves the shuttlecock, releasing it from their hand and hitting it from below the waist. Whoever wins the point serves next. The first player to reach 21 points wins a game; matches are played to the best-of-3 games.
Both men and women play at badminton’s highest level, and tournaments include singles and doubles matches, including mixed doubles. Tournaments generally take place in a classic knock-out format. Today, most high-level badminton tournaments are overseen by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), an international governing body not unlike the International Tennis Federation (ITF) or International Association Football Federation (FIFA). Other notable badminton competitions include those played as part of the Summer Olympics and Commonwealth Games; badminton has been an official Olympic sport since the 1992 Games in Barcelona, and has featured in the Commonwealth Games since 1966.
