Badminton is one of the most widely played sports in the world, with statistics showing that hundreds of millions of people around the globe participate in the sport on a regular basis. Its popularity is not only limited to Asia and Europe, but is also gradually expanding its influence in North America, Africa and other regions. Badminton is easy to learn and both professionals and amateurs can have fun and get fit through this sport.
In Asian countries, especially China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Korea, badminton is regarded as a national sport. Many famous world champions and Olympians are from these countries. Badminton is highly regarded in these countries, with matches often attracting millions of viewers, and even being a compulsory subject in schools in some areas.
Badminton has been an official sport at the Olympic Games since 1992, which has further expanded its global reach. The badminton competitions at each Olympics not only attract top players, but also bring the sport to a wider audience through television and the Internet.
Badminton's relatively simple venue requirements and inexpensive equipment make it suitable for a variety of environments, whether it's a professional gymnasium or a community, park, or even a family yard. This is one of the major reasons for the popularity of badminton.
Badminton is not only a competitive sport, but it is also used by many people as a daily exercise and social activity. The sport is favored by many fitness enthusiasts because it can help strengthen cardiorespiratory fitness, improve reaction time and coordination. At the same time, badminton also provides a good social platform through which people can meet new people and enhance interaction with family and friends.
Badminton apparel should be both comfortable, breathable and flexible so that players can move freely during the game. Below are some recommendations of badminton clothing for different levels and needs of sports players.
Women's 1/4 Half Zip Sweatshirt and Wide Leg Pants Lounge Sets
Men's Long Sleeve Causal Full Zip Tracksuits
The Development of Badminton
The origins of badminton can be traced back to a number of countries and cultures. The ancient game of badminton took many different forms, but the development of modern badminton is inextricably linked to Indian and British influences.
1.Ancient Badminton Games
The beginnings of badminton can be traced back to ancient Asian and European games. Historically similar forms of the sport have appeared in several cultures, including:
- Chinese “Shuttlecock”: The ancient Chinese played a game called “Shuttlecock” by kicking or slapping a ball with feathers, similar to the basic concept of badminton.
- Japanese “Hashiko Board”: In ancient Japan, a game called “Hashiko Board” was played using a wooden board to slap a lightweight badminton ball, often as a New Year's event.
- Greek and Egyptian ball games: Similar ball games were popular in ancient Greece and Egypt, and although there are no clear records, many of the features of these early games are similar to those of modern badminton.
2.The Indian game of “Poona”
The development of modern badminton came directly from a 19th century Indian game called “Poona”. It was an outdoor game popular among the Indian high society, played with equipment similar to today's badminton rackets, as well as badminton balls. British officers stationed in India were attracted to the game and began organizing matches in their barracks and bringing them back to Britain.
3.Promotion and standardization in Britain
The modernization and formalization of badminton took place in England in the late 19th century. The upper classes in England were quick to accept and promote the sport:
- Badminton House": It is said that the name of the sport ‘Badminton’ originated from a manor house in Gloucestershire, England - Badminton House, 18th century. -Badminton House: It is said that the name “Badminton” came from Badminton House, an estate in Gloucestershire, England, where the game was popularized at a social event in 1873.
- Formation of Badminton Association: In 1877, the Bath Badminton Club in England developed the first set of official badminton rules, which laid the foundation for modern badminton. These rules were later modified and adapted, eventually becoming the global standard rules used by the BWF today.
4.Development of International Badminton
With the expansion of the British empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, badminton was introduced to many British colonies, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian countries, which gradually became centers of badminton. in the mid-20th century, the influence of the Asian countries in badminton grew rapidly, and they eventually became the world's badminton powers.
To summarize, although badminton originated as a similar game in many places in ancient times, the development of modern badminton was mainly influenced by India and England in the 19th century. Through the promotion and standardization of England, badminton gradually developed into the international sport it is today.
Basic Rules of Badminton
Rules are set out to ensure that the game is fair and runs smoothly. The following are the main rules of badminton, including court, equipment, format of play and scoring.
Playing Field and Equipment
Court dimensions:
- Singles court: 13.4 meters long and 5.18 meters wide.
- Doubles court: 13.4 meters long and 6.1 meters wide.
- The court is divided in half by a 1.55 meter high net in the middle of the court.
Equipment:
- Badminton balls: made of natural or synthetic feathers, the heads are usually made of cork material.
- Rackets: lightweight and approximately 68 cm long, usually made of carbon fiber or aluminum.
Forms of play
Badminton matches are divided into two forms: singles, which is a one-on-one confrontation, and doubles, which is a two-player team match.
- Singles: Each player occupies one half of the court and competes one-on-one with the other team.
- Doubles: Two players from each team work together to compete with each other.
Serve
Serve is a very critical part of the game, the following are the basic rules of badminton serve:
- The serve must be hit from below the waist and the ball must be sent to the diagonal serving area.
- Singles: When the score is even, serve from the right tee; when the score is odd, serve from the left tee.
- Doubles: Each team serves from a fixed teeing area and the server must serve the ball to the corresponding area of the opposing team.
Scoring Rules
Badminton is played on a 21-point scale. Each match is usually divided into three sets, and the player or team that wins two sets wins.
- Points per ball: Either the serving side or the receiving side will be awarded one point for winning the opportunity to score in this round.
- Winning conditions: The first team to score 21 points in each set of the match wins, and must be at least 2 points ahead of their opponent. For example, if the score reaches 20-20, the match continues until one side is 2 points ahead (e.g. 22-20 or 24-22).
- Tiebreaker: If the match goes to a third set and the set score is 1-1, the first team to score 21 points in the third set wins.
Side Changes and Serving Rights
- Side Changes: In each set, when a team scores 11 points, the teams must change sides; in the third set, when a team scores 11 points, they will also change sides.
- Right to serve: When the serving team wins a point, they continue to serve; if the receiving team scores, the right to serve is given to the opponent.
Legal shots and errors
- Legitimate Strike: The racket should only be used to strike the ball on one side of the ball, and the racket or body should not be used to catch the ball over the net.
- Mistakes: The ball does not land in the opponent's effective area (including not crossing the net, going out of bounds, etc.). The ball is not hit in the area of the net when serving. The ball touches a player's body or other object.
Special Provisions of the Doubles Rules
- In doubles play, each pair must stand in a fixed serving area.
- When a point is scored, the serving player is required to change places with a teammate to ensure that the next serve is still in accordance with the rules.
Time-outs and substitutions
- Halfway through each set (11 points), the teams may take a short break of no more than 60 seconds.
- At the end of each set, both teams may also take a break of no more than 120 seconds.
Penalties
The referee has the right to award a penalty for loss of points or disqualification in the event of an offense (e.g, interference with the game, unusual serve, etc.) during the match.
These basic rules ensure the fairness and smoothness of badminton matches. By understanding and mastering these rules, players will not only be able to participate in the game better, but also improve their level of competition and enjoyment of the game.
Most Famous Badminton Players
The history of badminton has seen the emergence of many outstanding players who have become legends of the sport through their exceptional skills, tenacity and outstanding achievements. Here are a few of the most famous badminton players and their achievements:
Lin Dan (China)
Nickname: “Super Dan” (超级丹)
- Lin Dan is one of the greatest players in the history of badminton. He won two Olympic gold medals in his career (Beijing 2008 and London 2012), making him the only player in the history of badminton men's singles to defend his Olympic title.
- Lin Dan is also a five-time World Champion, having won the Badminton World Championships Men's Singles title five times in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
- He is the first badminton player to win the "Grand Slam ”, encompassing all major tournaments such as the Olympics, World Championships, All England Open and Asian Games.
Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia)
- Lee Chong Wei is one of the most popular players in the history of badminton and a national hero of Malaysia. Although he has never won an Olympic gold medal, he has won three Olympic silver medals in men's singles in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
- Lee was ranked No. 1 in the world for many years and holds the record of 69 Super Series titles.
- His long-running rivalry with Lin Dan has become one of the most iconic rivalries in badminton history, and the two have brought countless moments of excitement to the game.
Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia)
- Taufik Hidayat is one of the most successful players in Indonesian badminton history. He won the men's singles gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
- He was also the 2005 Badminton World Champion and won six Indonesian Open titles, demonstrating his dominance in his home tournament.
- Taufik is known for his unique backhand technique and powerful attacking style of play, making him a generational legend in badminton history.
Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei)
- Tai Tzu Ying is one of the best active women's singles players and has been ranked No. 1 in the world several times. She won the Badminton World Federation's Female Athlete of the Year award for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2020.
- Tzu Ying Tai is known for her flexible and skillful playing style, especially her fakes and varied shots that have made her one of the highlights of the women's singles badminton circuit.
- She has won more than 30 Super Series and Badminton World Tour titles and is a star player in the world of badminton.
Carolina Marin (Spain)
- Carolina Marin is one of the most influential European players in the history of women's badminton singles. She won the women's singles gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first Spanish player to win an Olympic badminton gold medal.
- She also won the Badminton World Championships Women's Singles title three times, in 2014, 2015 and 2018.
- Known for her strong mental strength and aggressive style of play, Ma Lin is known as the “woman fighter” of badminton.
Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (India)
- Sindhu is one of India's most successful badminton players, winning a silver medal in women's singles at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
- Sindhu won the Badminton World Championships Women's Singles title in 2019, becoming the first Indian player to win a gold medal at the World Championships.
- Her style of play is characterized by power and speed, making her a force to be reckoned with in the world of badminton.
Gao and Zhang Jun (China)
- Gao Diamond and Zhang Jun are one of the most successful partners in the mixed doubles badminton program. They won the mixed doubles gold medal twice at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics.
- The pair is known for their tacit understanding and precise tactical arrangements, making them a legendary duo in mixed doubles badminton.
Things you don't know about badminton
- Badminton is more athletic than basketball, and is known as the “King of Sports”.
- To see if a person has started badminton, see if he buys a single racket or a pair of rackets.
- The real badminton people, left and right arms are not the same thickness.
- Not the power is big, the ball can hit far, badminton is about power, learn to power, even if the power is small into can also have a high outburst.
- right hand holding racket, left foot shoes inside wear is very normal, shows that the pace is correct.
- The ball speed of badminton is the fastest of all ball sports.
- It is best to take out the shoes to the field and then change, or wear outside the field is easy to accumulate dust on the soles, anti-skid performance is weakened.
- Winter is here, badminton take to steam, will be much more durable.
- Even if your racket more. Do not easily lend racket to others
Conclusion
One of the reasons for the widespread popularity of badminton in Asia is its inclusiveness for participants of all ages and levels. As Europe and the United States pay more attention to national fitness and healthy lifestyles, badminton's low threshold, high fun and fitness effect will become an important factor in attracting more people to participate. In the future, badminton may gradually become part of the daily life of the general public in Europe and America, similar to running, tennis and other leisure sports.
Although the popularity of badminton in Europe and the United States is not yet comparable to that of Asian countries, the future development prospects are still optimistic. By strengthening grassroots promotion, increasing the influence of professional tournaments, attracting the rise of star players, and relying on the power of technology and media, badminton is expected to become a more popular sport in Europe and the United States and further expand its influence globally.
