History of Badminton
The old name of badminton is battledore and shuttlecock. It became a popular sport in ancient Greece and Egypt, where two players hit a feathered shuttlecock back and forth with rackets across a net without letting it hit the ground. The racquet sport can be played in large teams but the traditional form of the game has been played by “singles” or “doubles” on each side.
Badminton can be played in a yard or on the beach as an outdoor activity whereas professional badminton is played in a rectangular indoor court. Points are scored when a player strikes the shuttlecock with a racquet and it lands in the opponent’s half of the court.
How Did Badminton Get Its Name?
Are you curious to know the History of Badminton and why is it called badminton? Battledore was an older phrase used for “racquet”. The term ‘badminton’ was derived from the Duke of Beaufort’s Badminton House in Gloucestershire. The source of the name is unclear. In 1890 Isaac Spratt wrote a brochure titled Badminton Battledore – A New Game. In 1963 an article entitled The Cornhill Magazine tells about badminton sport, “battledore and shuttlecock played with sides, across a string suspended some five feet from the ground”.
1. In Which Country was Badminton Developed during the 19th Century?
- A. Britain
- B. America
- C. Canada
- D. All the above
Origin of Badminton
The ancient game battledore (bat or paddle) or Shuttlecock was introduced more than 2000 years ago. Earlier this game was an upper-class people’s hobby in England and several European countries in the 1600s.
Badminton was played in the ancestral home of the Duke of Beaufort in the last century. Momentarily it is a part of the Olympics.
Modern badminton game has been seen in the mid-19 century British India, formed by British military officers who stationed there. The sport was famous in the British garrison town of Poona thereafter the badminton was named ‘Poona’ or ‘Poonah’.
The first Open Tournament was started at Guildford in March of 1898 also the first “All England” Championship was held the next year.
The first International Badminton Federation was founded in 1934 with nine members that include Canada, France, Denmark, Netherlands, England, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The U.S entered the federation after the fourth year.
The first IBF tournament was held in 1984 that was the Thomas Cup or men’s world team championships. Later the uber club has many members such as the Women’s team, World Championships, World Grand Prix Finals, Superman cup(mixed team), World juniors, and the World Cup.
Badminton is one of the newest Olympic sports. In 1992, it became an Olympic sport in Barcelona. It was during this time that the singles and doubles were introduced, mixed doubles were allowed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
The top five countries that won gold medals were Indonesia, China, Korea, England, and Denmark. The Indonesia player Susi Susanti won the women’s singles in Barcelona also recognized as the first medallist after forty years in the Olympics. Surprisingly her husband Alan Budi Kusama won Indonesia’s second gold medal in men’s singles.