BADMINTON Sports History

 

At first glance, badminton might seem like an easy game. Two or four players use small, light rackets to hit a feathered cork across a net on a court that resembles a tennis court. But the cork, called a shuttlecock, or bird, can travel as fast as 110 miles (177 kilometres) per hour. Then it quickly slows down and dips toward the ground. The darting flight of the shuttlecock requires players to maintain great concentration and make split-second decisions when making shots. Badminton is played in more than 70 countries and is especially popular in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Equipment:

An official badminton court measures 17 by 44 feet (5.18 by 13.40 meters) for singles matches. The width increases to 20 feet (6.10 meters) for doubles. The net is 5 feet 1 inch (155 centimetres) high. The shuttlecock is about 2 1 /4 to 2 3 /4 inches (60 to 70 millimetres) long and weights about an ounce (28 grams). In official matches the players use a shuttlecock made of a half sphere of cork with a flaring circular tail of feathers. The rackets are made of wood, stainless steel, or a combination of the two. They weight from 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 ounces (126 to 154 grams) and are 26 to 27 inches (66 to 68 centimetres) long. The head of a badminton racket measures 7 inches (18 centimetres) wide and may be strung with nylon or catgut. The long, thin handles of good rackets end in a leather grip.

 

History:

 Badminton came from a child's game called battledore and shuttlecock, in which two players hit a feathered shuttlecock back and forth with tiny rackets. Some form of the sport was played long ago in ancient Greece and Egypt. The game was called Poona in India during the 19th century, and British Army officers stationed there took the Indian version back to England in the 1860s. The game is named for Badminton, the country estate of the dukes of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England, where it was first played about 1873. The modern rules were set forth in their basic form by the Bath Badminton Club, organized in 1887.

NOTEABLE POINTS:

 Highest governing body: Badminton World Federation BWF, organized in 1934. 

First Played: 17th Century 

Team members: Single or doubles. 

Court Size: 17 by 44 feet (5.18 by 13.40 meters) / width increases to 20 feet for doubles. 

Net Size: 5 feet 1 inch (155 cm) high. 

Shuttlecock Size and Weight: 2 1 /4 to 2 3 /4 Inc (60 to 70 millimetres) long weights (28 g). 

Rackets Size: 26 to 27 Inc (66 to 68 cm) long. 

The head of a badminton racket measures 7 Inc (18 cm) wide. 

Rackets Weight: (126 to 154 grams). 

Olympic: 1992