Badminton is played as a singles or doubles game with one or two players on a side. The object of the game is to hit the shuttlecock or “bird” back and forth with a racket across a net five feet high at its center. The bird should be hit with such speed and accuracy that the opponent is unable to return the shot successfully. The game can either be fast or slow paced, depending on the skill level of the players.
· 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.
· Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players per side). Badminton is often played as a casual outdoor activity in a yard or on a beach; formal games are played on a rectangular indoor court. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racquet and landing it within the opposing side's half of the court.
· The game developed in British India from the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock. European play came to be dominated by Denmark but the game has become very popular in Asia, with recent competitions dominated by China.
· In 1992, badminton debuted as a Summer Olympic sport with four events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles;[2] mixed doubles was added four years later.
· At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent fitness: players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and precision. It is also a technical sport, requiring good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet movements.
· Games employing shuttlecocks have been played for centuries across Eurasia, but the modern game of badminton developed in the mid-19th century among the expatriate officers of British India as a variant of the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock. ("Battledore" was an older term for "racquet".)
· 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.
· As early as 1860, a London toy dealer named Isaac Spratt published a booklet entitled Badminton Battledore – A New Game, but no copy is known to have survived. 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".
· The game originally developed in India among the British expatriates, where it was very popular by the 1870s. 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 and was at first played interchangeably with badminton by the British, the woolen ball being preferred in windy or wet weather.
· Early on, the game was also known as Poona or Poonah after the garrison town of Poona, where it was particularly popular and where the first rules for the game were drawn up in 1873. By 1875, officers returning home had started a badminton club in Folkstone. Initially, the sport was played with sides ranging from 1 to 4 players, but it was quickly established that games between two or four competitors worked the best. The shuttlecocks were coated with India rubber and, in outdoor play, sometimes weighted with lead. Although the depth of the net was of no consequence, it was preferred that it should reach the ground.
· Gloucestershire is now the base for the International Badminton Federation
· The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was formed in July 5,1934 .
· The first big IBF tournament was the Thomas Cup (men’s world team championships) in 1948 and Uber Cup (ladies team).
· The World Cup invitational event started in 1981 and is organized by the International Management Group (IMG)
· When the Uber Cup was introduced in 1956, Americans won the first three events.
· The year 1996 was a landmark in USA badminton.
· In December 1995, the IBF introduced a new concept tournament in California, the Hong Ta Shan Cup, a men’s invitation tournament with the best players and big prize money.
· In the Philippines, it was in the 1920 when British and American expatriates introduced badminton in the country.
· As early as 1950's, the International Badminton Federation (IBF) recognized the Philippines as its 21st member country. Since then, Filipino's have been playing badminton in international tournaments. In 1949 national rankings produced Adriano Torres, first national Men's single champion.
· In 1952, the Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) was created and became the first national badminton group, organized by 28 badminton clubs.
· Johnny Yan and Stephen Cheng were the countries first doubles champions at the Hong Kong Open held on 1962. In the 1966 Triangular Meet in Vietnam, the Philippine team achieved its first team championship in the Men's division namely Amando Yanga, Conrado Co, Jaime Gapas, Renato Navarro, and Danny So.
· In 1981, the Philippine badminton team participated in the Southeast Asian (SEA) games. The country hosted the event. In 1984, the Philippines made its first appearance in the Thomas Cup tournament. The eighties to the mid-nineties saw a new crop of luminaries in the game Renato Reyes, Jessie Alonzo, Salvador "Badong" Banquiles, Antonio "Jojo" Mance, Jr. and Naresh Ramnani. And in 1992, Melvin Llanes became the first Philippine champion at the Prince Asian Juniors Championship for the 16-under age group.
· It was in 1992 when the Philippines first played in the Uber Cup games, resulting in a victory over Tanzania. It was duplicated in 1998 when the Philippine ladies team defeated Mauritius at the Uber Cup Asian Zonal Championship.
· In 1995 Australian International Championships (IBF-sanctioned international tournament), Weena Lim and Kennie Asuncion were the first Philippine entry (ladies double) to win a gold medal, and in 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Weena became the first Philippine badminton player to qualify and participate in the prestigious game.
· In 1997 SEA games in Jakarta, Weena Lim and Kennie Asuncion were the first bronze medalist in the women's doubles event.
· Despite badminton’s decline in popularity, financial woes and inconsistent programs, enthusiasts do not lose hope in promoting the sport. Academies and foundations like Allied Victor 650, William and William Gabuelo Academy (WWGA), Whackers and Golden Shuttle Foundation have financed and supported qualified players who could not afford training expenses. Big companies like Toby’s and Yonex continue to organize nationwide
tournaments. Badminton clubs overseas like Wow Pinoy Badminton Club (United Emirates) and Badminton Aficionados (Riyadh) continue to rise in numbers.