Badminton

Characterized as a racquet sport, badminton can be played either by singles or doubles. On a court, an individuals or a pair takes position on a court with a rectangular shape separated with a net. The athletes can score a point by hitting a shuttlecock above the net which has to land on the other half. Remember that a rally will only be complete once the shuttlecock has reached the ground which can only be struck one time on every side prior to passing it over. The shuttlecock has distinct properties of aerodynamics that will cause it to soar high unlike the typical balls employed in other games such as tennis.

Prior to the modernization of badminton, it started back in the ancient period as a form of recreation among the Egyptians and Greeks. By the eighteenth century, this racquet sport was identified as “poona” by the Indians. Upon that period, army officers from Great Britain were stationed in the country. When they discovered about the game, they staged a competitive version which they introduced in England during the 1860’s. The match was held in country houses regularly visited by the elites in the society. History of badminton would render that it turned out to be a phenomenon where a toy dealer from London released a booklet.

The toy dealer from London who released a booklet about badminton was Isaac Spratt. However, there was no copy that can be retrieved. By 1873, the racquet sport was officially introduced in Gloucestershire which was owned by then Duke8of Beaufort, Henry Somerset. In 1887, the game was played following the regulations observed by the Indians considering that it was obtained by the army officers from their country upon settlement how many years have passed. However, things have changed. Badminton history would now render that an organization modified the rules to be more appropriate in Great Britain.

By 1893 though, another organization in Great Britain published the first set of regulations of badminton which has a lot of similarities observed today. The rules were officially introduced in a country house called Dunbar located in 6 Waverley Grove, Portsmouth in England on the third of September of that same year. The period was also the beginning of championship tournaments but it was only in 1899 that a global competition took place. By 1934, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) was established with Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, France, England, Denmark and Canada as the founding members.

In 1936, India participated in the Badminton World Federation (BWF). It is currently governing badminton in a global scope aiming to develop it in every corner of the world. The organization has successfully accomplished its goal whereby several countries in Asia have joined namely South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and China. These nations have consistently produced exceptional athletes of the racquet sport ever since the past. As a matter of fact, they have dominated the games in the international scene. Even with the present members of the association, it is still in the pursuit of drawing more to participate.

At this juncture, badminton is played employing shoes, rackets, shuttlecocks, grips and strings. The shoes have to weigh light with rubber soles made of non- marking elements. Rackets have to be of exceptional quality with a mass between seventy grams to one hundred grams. The shuttlecocks need to have a conical form from goose feathers. Grips have to be comfortable so that the athlete will have a sure hold on the surface. The strings have to be thicker so you can be assured of durability. With these five essential tools, you can now hit the court but make sure though that you have a partner with you to complete the game.