Badminton is played by two or four players using lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock, a cork ball fitted with stabilizing feathers. Players hit the shuttlecock back and forth over a net, trying to keep it from hitting the ground.Playing Area :
International rules state that an indoor badminton court must be rectangular, with white lines marked on a level wooden floor or on a special mat that is rolled onto a level playing surface. A singles court is 44 ft (13.41 m) long and 17 ft (5.18 m) wide. For doubles, alleys 1 ft 6 in (0.46 m) wide along the two longer sides of the court come into play, making the court 20 ft (6.10 m) wide.
Equipment :
Badminton rackets weigh between 3.5 and 5 oz (99 and 141 g) and consist of a leather or terrycloth handle.Official rules limit the total length of a racket to 26.75 in (67.95 cm). The head of a racket measures 11 in (28 cm) in length and 8.6 in (21.8 cm) in width
International rules state that an indoor badminton court must be rectangular, with white lines marked on a level wooden floor or on a special mat that is rolled onto a level playing surface. A singles court is 44 ft (13.41 m) long and 17 ft (5.18 m) wide. For doubles, alleys 1 ft 6 in (0.46 m) wide along the two longer sides of the court come into play, making the court 20 ft (6.10 m) wide.Equipment :
Badminton rackets weigh between 3.5 and 5 oz (99 and 141 g) and consist of a leather or terrycloth handle.Official rules limit the total length of a racket to 26.75 in (67.95 cm). The head of a racket measures 11 in (28 cm) in length and 8.6 in (21.8 cm) in width
Historical Background :
The game is named after Badminton in Gloucestershire, England, which is the family seat of the Dukes of Beaufort. It is believed to have been invented there in about 1867. Its most obvious forefunner is the old English game of battledore and shuttlecock, and a similar game was also played in China over 2,000 years ago. The Badminton Association was founded in Great Britain in 1893. A very high proportion of champions (both men and women) come from the Far East. The world governing body is the International Badminton Federation, founded in 1934, which now has well over 100 affiliated member nations.
Principal Competition :
The principal competitions are: the Men's World Team Championship, otherwise known as the Thomas Cup, which was first competed for in 1948-1949; the Women's World Team Championship, instituted in 1977 and now staged biennially; the All England Championships, first played for in 1899 and open to competitors from all nations; and the European Championships, staged biennially from 1968. Badminton was played as a demonstration sport in the 1972 and 1988 Olympics and became a medal sport in 1992 when all the champions were from Indonesia and South Korea.
Recent Men's & Women's World Champion :
Individuals from China and Indonesia have won numerous world championship titles. Men’s singles world champions include Rudy Hartono (1980) of Indonesia and Yang Yang (1987, 1989), Zhao Jianhua (1991), and Sun Jun (1999) of China. Women’s world champions include Indonesia’s Susi Susanti (1993) and China’s Ye Zhaoying (1995, 1997).
The most noted doubles player is South Korean men’s star Park Joo Bong, who won an Olympic gold medal in men’s doubles in 1992 and a silver medal in mixed doubles in 1996.
Denmark is also a badminton powerhouse, with players such as 1996 men’s Olympic gold medalist Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, 1997 men’s world champion Peter Rasmussen, and 1999 women’s world champion Camilla Martin.
Denmark is also a badminton powerhouse, with players such as 1996 men’s Olympic gold medalist Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, 1997 men’s world champion Peter Rasmussen, and 1999 women’s world champion Camilla Martin.
