Badminton is one of the world’s most popular sports. It is played mainly in Asia, where many great badminton players hail from this continent, like Lin Dan from China, Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia, Taufik Hidayat from Indonesia, and Kento Momota from Japan. The only nation outside Asia that produces many top players is Denmark.
A brief history of badminton
The history of badminton dates back to ancient civilizations, but the modern sport as we know it today originated in India in the mid-18th century. The game was called “Poona” or “Poonah” and was played by British army officers stationed in India.
The game was introduced to England in the 1860s, where it became popular among the upper classes. In 1877, the Badminton Association of England was founded, and the first official game rules were established.
In the early days of badminton, the game was played with a ball made of cork and Indian goose feathers, known as a shuttlecock. The game was played in a similar manner to modern-day tennis, with a net dividing the court and players hitting the shuttlecock back and forth over the net.
In the 20th century, the game evolved, and synthetic materials were introduced, including plastic shuttlecocks and lightweight racquets made of materials like aluminium and graphite. The modern game of badminton is played on a rectangular court, with players hitting a shuttlecock over a high net and trying to make it land in their opponent’s court.
Today, badminton is played all over the world and is an Olympic sport. It has become particularly popular in countries like China, Indonesia, and India, which have produced many top players and champions in the sport.
How badminton is played
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two players (singles) or four players (doubles) who hit a shuttlecock over a high net and try to make it land inside their opponent’s court. Here are the basic rules and gameplay of badminton:
- Court and equipment: The court is rectangular, and the net is positioned at the center of the court. The shuttlecock is a feathered projectile with a cork base. Each player has a racquet with which to hit the shuttlecock.
- Serving: The server stands in their respective service court and hits the shuttlecock to the opponent’s court. The serve must be made diagonally across the court to the opponent’s service court. The server must keep both feet on the ground while serving, and the shuttlecock must pass over the net and land in the opponent’s service court.
- Rally: Once the shuttlecock is served, the players must hit it back and forth over the net until one player fails to return it or the shuttlecock goes out of bounds. Points are scored by the player who successfully lands the shuttlecock inside the opponent’s court.
- Scoring: A player scores a point when their opponent makes a fault, such as hitting the shuttlecock out of bounds, hitting it into the net, or failing to hit it over the net. A game is usually played to 21 points, and the player who reaches 21 points first, with a two-point lead, wins the game.
- Changing ends: Players change ends after each game, and if a third game is necessary, they also change ends when the leading player reaches 11 points.
Badminton is a fast-paced and exciting sport that requires skill, agility, and strategy. With practice, players can improve their technique and develop their own playing style.