Badminton is One of the Oldest Sports

Badminton is a competitive sport in which players sit opposite each other on a field divided by a net. With the help of special rackets, they throw the shuttlecock to the half of the opponent, trying to prevent a fall on their side. Competitions can be in different formats. There are one-on-one and two-on-two fights. Pairs may be mixed, allowing women and men to compete on the same team.
Sports researchers disagree on the origins of this kind of sport. Let’s look at the most plausible versions of the emergence and development of this sport.

The Origin of Badminton and its Formation

Many researchers of the archaic world, along with archaeologists and historians, find evidence of the existence of the activity of shuttlecock in ancient Egypt, Greece, Japan, India, and China. Let’s get acquainted with the records of the evolution of this kind of sport in various countries.

Chinese Roots of Badminton

The predecessor of modern badminton was most favored in ancient China. There is evidence of the popularity of this game in 1122 BC among the Chinese population. They called this sports game “Di-Jiau-chi”. For the game, a special shuttlecock with feathers and wooden rackets were used. This game was especially popular among the nobility and the elite of society.

Japanese Footprint

In turn, Japanese sports fans back in the Middle Ages enjoyed playing a game called “Oibane”, which means a flying feather. For the game, a cherry stone with attached feathers was used. Rackets were also made of wood. Instead of a grid, a small wooden fence was used or dispensed with.

French influence

Many French engravings from the Middle Ages show people playing a game called “jeu-de-paume”, which means “apple game”. The principle of the game is very similar to modern sport. Two players competed in throwing a special shuttlecock to each other with the help of special wooden bats. The grid was not used at that time.

The Queen of Sweden and Her Contribution to the Development

Sports historians say that the first professional badminton court was built in 1650 in Stockholm specifically for the Queen of Sweden. Evidence has been preserved that Queen Christina loved to play this game and invited all high-ranking guests and her courtiers to play. It was she who commissioned the construction of the first specialized court in history. This building has survived to this day and is used as a museum exhibit at the current church.

India – the Birthplace of Modern Badminton

An Indian orthodox game called Pune won the love of British officers serving in India in the 19th century. Upon arrival at home, the officers held a demonstration Pune match in the city of Badminton, a hundred kilometers from London, which gave the name to the new sport. In 1873, with the support of Earl Charles Somerset, the first court was built. It was British officers who arrived from India who created the first club for badminton lovers called Folsktown in 1875.

The Modern Evolution and its Distribution Around the World

Following the British officers, the game became popular among the general population of Great Britain. The craze for the new sport was the establishment of the first official championship, which took place in 1898 and became the ancestor of the English Open, which is still held and is one of the most prestigious competitions.

Soon the success of this sport in Great Britain began to spread badminton around the globe. In 1934, the International Federation was created, which included nine countries: England, Denmark, Holland, Ireland, Wales, New Zealand, Canada, France, and Scotland.
Under the auspices of the MBU, the Thomas Cup was established in 1947 for men and the Uber Cup in 1955 for women. At the moment, this organization includes 186 countries from all continents of the world, which indicates the huge popularity of this sport among athletes from all over the world.

In 1968, the European Championship was held under the leadership of the European Badminton Confederation, which was started in 1967.
In 1992, this kind of sport was included in the official program of the Summer Olympic Games.

The Benefits and Admiration of this Sport

Athletes who are fond of this sport at a professional and amateur level are distinguished by increased dexterity, due to mobility and high muscle tone of the body. Even irregular badminton workouts provide good blood circulation, increase the tone of the cardiovascular system, strengthen joints, improve coordination and the respiratory system. This positive effect on the body ensures high popularity among lovers of a healthy lifestyle.

In addition to the obvious health benefits, badminton has a high sporting value due to its technique and non-obvious difficulty. At first glance, badminton seems to be a rather simple game that requires only a sufficient level of physical fitness. In fact, the player is forced to practice his skills for years in order to successfully compete in competitions and be a worthy competitor. Serve in badminton requires a high degree of concentration, coordination, and reaction speed. The speed of the shuttlecock when serving can reach 493 kilometers per hour, which is an absolute record for a projectile from all existing sports.

Experts say that in order to master the art of badminton, it may take about 10 years, which is much longer than for other sports. Thus, we can conclude that professional competitors are real masters, and their competitions attract crowds of fans precisely because of their entertainment and technicality. The strongest players at the moment are people from China and Japan since these countries are famous for their meticulousness and systematic improvement of skills.

Discover the Amazing World of Badminton!

A sport that has been known since prehistorical times on all continents has reached its peak of development and has a huge fan base around the world. Be part of this amazing community and watch the real masters compete for the title of champion. Along with watching spectacular tournaments, you yourself have the opportunity to keep fit and improve your health with the help of regular lessons!