Badminton

History
Games employing shuttlecocks have been played for centuries across Eurasia[n 1] but the modern
game of badminton developed in the mid-19th century among the British as a variant of the earlier
game of battledore and shuttlecock. ("Battledore" was an older term for "racquet".)[4] Its exact origin
remains obscure. The name derives from the Duke of Beaufort's Badminton
House in Gloucestershire,[5] but why or when remains unclear. As early as 1860, a London toy dealer
named Isaac Spratt published a booklet titled Badminton BattledoreA New Game but unfortunately
no copy has survived.[6] An 1863 article in The Cornhill Magazine describes badminton as "battledore
and shuttlecock played with sides, across a string suspended some five feet from the ground". [7]
The game may have originally developed among expatriate officers in British India,[8] where it was
very popular by the 1870s.[6] Ball badminton, a form of the game played with a wool ball instead of a
shuttlecock, was being played in Thanjavur as early as the 1850s[9] and was at first played
interchangeably with badminton by the British, the woollen ball being preferred in windy or wet
weather.
Early on, the game was also known as Poona or Poonah after the garrison town of Pune,[8][10] where
it was particularly popular and where the first rules for the game were drawn up in 1873. [6][7][n 2] By
1875, returning officers had started a badminton club in Folkestone. Initially, the sport was played
with sides ranging from 14 players but it was quickly established that games between two or four
competitors worked the best.[4] The shuttlecocks were coated with India rubber and, in outdoor play,
sometimes weighted with lead.[4] Although the depth of the net was of no consequence, it was
preferred that it should reach the ground.[4]
The sport was played under the Pune rules until 1887, when the J.H.E. Hart of the Bath Badminton
Club drew up revised regulations.[5] In 1890, Hart and Bagnel Wild again revised the rules.[6] The
Badminton Association of England published these rules in 1893 and officially launched the sport at
a house called "Dunbar"[n 3] in Portsmouth on 13 September.[12] The BAE started the first badminton
competition, the All England Open Badminton Championships for gentlemen's doubles, ladies'
doubles, and mixed doubles, in 1899.[5] Singles competitions were added in 1900 and an England
Ireland championship match appeared in 1904.[5]
England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New
Zealand were the founding members of the International Badminton Federation in 1934, now known
as the Badminton World Federation. India joined as an affiliate in 1936. The BWF now governs
international badminton. Although initiated in England, competitive men's badminton has traditionally

been dominated in Europe by Denmark. Worldwide, Asian nations have become dominant in
international competition. China, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea are the
nations which have consistently produced world-class players in the past few decades, with China
being the greatest force in men's and women's competition recently.
The history of the development of modern badminton is a very long and complex one. Below is a brief
account of the history of the game.
Origins of the Game
The sport of badminton has its origins in ancient civilisations in Europe and Asia. The ancient game known
as battledore (bat or paddle) and shuttlecock probably originated more than 2000 years ago.
In the 1600s Battledore and Shuttlecock was an upper class pastime in England and many European
countries. Battledore and Shuttlecock was simply two people hitting a shuttlecock backwards and forwards
with a simple bat as many times as they could without allowing it to hit the ground.
Contemporary Badminton
A contemporary form of badminton - a game called Poon, was played in India in the 1800s where a net
was introduced and players hit the shuttlecock across the net. British officers in the mid 1800s took this
game back to England and it was introduced as a game for the guests of the Duke of Beaufort at his stately
home Badminton in Gloucestershire, England where it became popular.
In March 1898, the first Open Tournament was held at Guildford the first 'All England' Championships were
held the following year. Denmark, the USA and Canada became ardent followers of the game during the
1930s.
IBF Established in 1934
Then in 1934, the International Badminton Federation was formed, with the initial members including
England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Holland, Canada, New Zealand and France, with India joining
as an affiliate in 1936.
The first major IBF tournament was the Thomas Cup (world men's team championships) in 1948. Since
then, the number of world events has increased with the addition of the Uber Cup (womens team), World
Championships (individual events), Sudirman Cup (mixed team), World Junior Championships and the World
Grand Prix Finals.
Commonwealth Games Sport - 1966
Badminton was introduced as a Commonwealth Games program sport in Kingston Jamaica in 1966 and has
been part of every Commonwealth Games program since then. Initially all five disciplines were included
singles (men, women), doubles (men, women) and mixed doubles with the Teams Event included in the
program in later Commonwealth Games.
Olympic Games Sport - 1992
Badminton is a relatively new Olympic Games sport. After being a demonstration sport in Munich in 1972,
badminton became an Olympic sport in Barcelona in 1992 with the singles and doubles disciplines introduced

for the first time in the Olympic Games. In Atlanta in 1996, a mixed doubles event was included and this is
the only mixed doubles event in all of the Olympic sports.
The following countries have won medals in badminton at an Olympic Games since its introduction in 1992 China, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Russia.
Susi Susanti from Indonesia won the womens singles in Barcelona, becoming Indonesias first medallist in
the 40 years Indonesia had competed at the Games. In the same Olympic Games, Alan Budi Kusama won
Indonesias second gold medal in the mens badminton singles.

A Brief History of Badminton

A badminton-like game was known in ancient Greece and Egypt - a game called battledore and
shuttlecock - in which two players hit a feathered shuttlecock back and forth with tiny rackets.
The game was played in India during the 18th Century, at which time it was called "Poona" . In the
1860s it was adopted by British Army officers stationed in India. The officers took the game back to
England, where it became a success at a party given by the Duke of Beaufort in 1873 at his estate
called "Badminton" in Gloucestershire.
A variation of Badminton which has been developed only recently, Speed Badminton or
Speedminton, is played without a net, and is gaining popularity, especially in Germany.

OLYMPIC HISTORY
Badminton made its debut as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. It was
not until the 1992 Games in Barcelona that it was officially included on the Olympic programme, with
mens and womens singles and doubles events. The mixed doubles event made its debut in 1996 at
the Atlanta Olympic Games. Since then, the number of events has remained unchanged.
Although the creation of modern badminton is attributed to England, it is Asia that now dominates
this sport. Between 1992 and 2008, Asian countries won 69 of the 76 medals available in Olympic
competition! The dominant countries are China, Indonesia and the Republic of Korea, followed by
Great Britain and Denmark.

Badminton at the Summer Olympics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Badminton had its debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics and has been contested in 6 Olympiads. 63
different nations have appeared in the Olympic badminton competitions, with 19 appearing all 6
times. It is governed by the Badminton World Federation.

History[edit]
The 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich saw the first appearance of badminton, as a demonstration
sport. Two decades later the sport debuted in competition at the Barcelona 1992 games where 4
events were held, with singles and doubles events for both men and women. Four medals were
awarded in each event, including two bronzes. The next Olympics, Atlanta 1996, had 5 events with
the addition of mixed doubles. There was also now a playoff between the two semifinal losers to
determine the sole winner of the bronze medal. This format has continued to 2016.

Qualification[edit]
The Badminton World Federation's ranking list is used to determine qualification for the Olympic
tournament. For singles, 29 competitors are selected. For doubles, 19 pairs are selected.
The general method of selection is by ranking, though the selection process stops once all
qualification positions are filled. All players or pairs from the top 16 places on that list qualify, though
each National Olympic Committee can send a maximum of three players/pairs. Players and pairs
through the 64th place on that ranking qualify, with the caveat that each NOC can send only two
players/pairs from that portion of the list. Players and pairs ranked below that only qualify if they are
the highest ranked competitor from their nation.
In addition, one place in each of the singles events is awarded by the Tripartite Commission. There
are also regulations on minimum representation. Each continent must have at least one player/pair.
This is the highest ranked player/pair from that continent if none have qualified through the standard
selection process. The host nation, if it has not already qualified two competitors, receives two slots
as well, either two singles players or one pair.

Competition[edit]
Main article: Badminton at the 2012 Summer Olympics Qualification
Olympic badminton consists of a single-elimination tournament. Each match is played to the best of
three games. Games are to 21 points. Rally scoring is used, meaning a player does not need to be
serving to score. A player must win by two points or be the first player to 30 points.

HISTORY OF BADMINTON PAGE 1 OF 2

The modern history of badminton began in India with a game known as poona. Poona was a competitive sport that
British Army officers learned and brought back to England, but more about that part of badmintons history in a
moment. First, we must answer the question, So just where did the game of poona come from?
Childs Play
Poona developed from a childrens game called battledore and shuttlecock. The object of this game was to see how
long a group could volley the shuttlecock by hitting it with the battledore, or paddle. This cooperative, non-competitive
game was originally played without a net. The shuttlecock is often called a bird because its made out feathers. Today,
some models are made of plastic, but competition shuttlecocks consist of 16 real feathers. Experts claim the very
best shuttles are made from feathers taken from the left wing of a goose. Who knew?
Even before battledore and shuttlecock evolved, there were similar sports being played throughout the world. In fifth
century China, ti jian zi was played by kicking a shuttle into the air. By the 1600s, people in Europe were playing jeu
de volant, a game that used a racket rather than feet to volley the shuttle.
By the time British officers stationed in India encountered poona the game was a fast-paced competitive sport. These
officers took the equipment for poona back to England in the early 1870s.
A Party at Badminton
It was the Duke of Beaufort who officially introduced the game to England. In 1873, guests at a lawn party on his
country estate, Badminton, played a game of poona. The game was a hit and soon became popular among the
British elite. People began calling the new party sport the Badminton game.

Origins and History of Badminton

Facts and Information About the Game

The origins of the game of badminton date back at least 2,000 years to the game of
battledore and shuttlecock played in ancient Greece, China, and India.
A very long history for one of the Olympics newest sports! Badminton took its name
from Badminton House in Gloucestershire, the ancestral home of the Duke of Beaufort,
where the sport was played in the last century. Gloucestershire is now the base for the
International Badminton Federation.
The IBF was formed in 1934 with nine members: Canada, Denmark, France,
Netherlands, England, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The United States
joined four years later. Membership increased steadily over the next few years with a
surge in new members after the Olympic Games debut at Barcelona.
The first big IBF tournament was the Thomas Cup (mens world team championships) in
1948. Since then, the number of world events has increased to seven, with the addition

of the Uber Cup (ladies team), World Championships, Sudirman Cup (mixed team),
World Juniors, World Grand Prix Finals, and the World Cup.
The World Cup invitational event started in 1981 and is organized by the International
Management Group (IMG). The World Cup series is due to end in 1997, and the IBF is
considering organizing exhibition matches featuring the worlds top players to replace
the World Cup.
For the recent Thomas and Uber Cups in Hong Kong, the sale of commercial and
television rights was a multimillion dollar contract. And its not just in Asia. In Europe
also, theres a growing number of companies bidding for rights. Television companies
worldwide are already buying exclusive rights to the 1997 World Championships to be
held in Glasgow, Scotland.
A turning point in badmintons growth was the $20 million tripartite contract in 1994 for
sponsorship of the World Grand Prix Finals. Under the terms of the deal between the
IBF, IMG, and STAR TV, STAR injects the monies into the promotion and development
of badminton. In return, STAR gains total exclusivity for the exploitation of the
commercial and television rights to the WGP Finals. The deal was good for both main
parties, said David Shaw, IBFs executive director, who was brought into the
organization with a brief to grow the sport. We needed a strong partner in television,
and the broadcaster had identified badminton as a vehicle which would attract
audiences across Asia to its prime sports channel.
The next phase in the rise and rise of international badminton has been to retake the
USA. The U.S. was an early member of the IBF and initially one of the most successful.
When the Uber Cup was introduced in 1956, Americans won the first three events. But
then interest waned.
Badminton is a well liked and familiar sport in the USA but, predominantly, is usually
played as a fun game in the backyard or on the beach. We know that once Americans
see the other badmintoninternational badminton, the worlds fastest racket sportthey
will want to see and play more. The Atlanta Olympics started to raise the sports profile
in the U.S. The event was a sell-out and became one of the must-see sports. Ex-

President Jimmy Carter, Chelsea Clinton, Paul Newman, and Princess Anne were
among the celebrities who came to watch. David Broder of the Washington Post
reported seeing one of the supreme athletic spectacles of my life.
The year 1996 was a landmark in USA badminton. Its not only the Atlanta Olympic
Games that started to generate tremendous interest in the U.S. market. In December
1995, the IBF introduced a new concept tournament in California, the Hong Ta Shan
Cup, a mens invitation tournament with the best players and big prize money. There are
now plans to add a womens event and to increase the prize money. The Hong Ta Shan
Group has gone on to sponsor the U.S. Open, increasing the prize money to $200,000.
This makes the event the most valuable World Grand Prix event in the series and gives
it six-star status.
The degree of change is increasing. Badmintons debut as an Olympic Games sport has
manifestly boosted interest internationally. The STAR TV agreement has increased the
sports coverage dramatically. Sponsors and television companies are being attracted to
a sport which gives them access to the Asian economies. And spectators are
increasingly attracted to the exciting mix of angles, tactics, touch, reaction, and fitness
that would exhaust a squash champion.
Badminton has its origins in ancient civilisations in Europe and Asia. The ancient game known as
battledore (bat or paddle) and shuttlecock probably originated more than 2000 years ago.
In the 1600s battledore and shuttlecock was an upper class pastime in England and many European
countries. Battledore and shuttlecock was simply two people hitting a shuttlecock backwards and
forwards with a simple bat as many times as they could without allowing it to hit the ground.
Modern badminton can be traced to mid-19th century British India. It was created by British military
officers stationed there. A net was added to the traditional English game of battledore and
shuttlecock. As it was popular in the British garrison town of Poona, the game came to be known as
"Poona" or "Poonai" Initially, woollen balls were preferred by the upper classes in windy or wet
conditions, but ultimately shuttlecocks took over the role of a "ball." This game was taken by retired
officers who got back to England. It was introduced as a game for the guests of the Duke of Beaufort
at his stately home 'Badminton' in Gloucestershire, England where it became popular. Hence, the
origin of the name "Badminton."
In March 1898, the first Open Tournament was held at Guildford and the first 'All England'
Championships were held the following year.

The International Badminton Federation was formed in 1934 with nine founder members, England,
Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Holland, Canada, New Zealand and France. India joined as an
affiliate in 1936.
The first major IBF tournament was the Thomas Cup (world men's team championships) in 1948.
Since then, the number of world events has increased with the addition of the Uber Cup (women's
team), World Championships (individual events), Sudirman Cup (mixed team), World Junior
Championships and the World Grand Prix Finals.
Badminton is a relatively new Olympic sport. It was a demonstration sport at the 1972 Munich
Olympics. Badminton eventually became an Olympic sport in Barcelona in 1992. Only the singles
and doubles were introduced for the first time in the Olympic Games. Mixed doubles was included in
the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and badminton is the only sport that has mixed doubles event in
the Olympics.
Only five countries have won gold medals at the Olympics since badminton was introduced in 1992 China, Indonesia and Korea, England and Denmark.
Susi Susanti from Indonesia won the women's singles in Barcelona, becoming Indonesia's first
medallist after forty years participating in the Olympics. Ironically, Susi's future husband, Alan Budi
Kusama won Indonesia's second gold medal in the men's singles.