Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the court. A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the ground, and the shuttlecock may only be struck once by each side before it passes over the net.
The shuttlecock (or shuttle) is a feathered projectile whose unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently from the balls used in most racquet sports; in particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly than a ball. Shuttlecocks have a much higher top speed, when compared to other racquet sports. Because shuttlecock flight is stubbornly affected by wind, competitive badminton is always played indoors. Badminton is also played outdoors as a casual recreational activity, often as a garden or beach game. Since 1992, badminton has been an Olympic sport with five events: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles, in which each pair is a man and a woman. At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent fitness: players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and precision.
Physical Benefits:
According to NurtiStrategy, a 155-pound individual will burn approximately 317 calories per hour while playing a moderately vigorous game of badminton. Playing badminton frequently can help to increase your level of physical fitness: playing the game improves coordination, flexibility and balance because of the agility that's required to aim correctly and move to hit the birdie when it comes to your side of the court. The actions required to play badminton also help to exercise the gluteus maximus, abdominal and dorsal muscles, and to reinforce the joints. The game can help to improve endurance, as it is a form of aerobic exercise.
Psychological Benefits:
Because badminton promotes physical fitness, it helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Exercise increases endorphins, which are the brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, and has also been found to improve mood and sleep. Badminton is also likely to put you in a good mood because it's a social activity. The social interactions of a game, combined with feel-good endorphins, will result in positive feelings after a session on the court.
History and Development:
Games employing shuttlecocks have been played for centuries across Eurasia but the modern game of badminton developed in the mid-19th century among the British as a variant of the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock. ("Battledore" was an older term for "racquet".) Its exact origin remains obscure. The name derives from the Duke of Beaufort's Badminton House in Gloucestershire, but why or when remains unclear. As early as 1860, a London toy dealer named Isaac Spratt published a booklet titled Badminton Battledore—A New Game but unfortunately no copy has 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". Early on, the game was also known as Poona or Poonah after the garrison town of Pune, where it was particularly popular and where the first rules for the game were drawn up in 1873. By 1875, returning officers had started a badminton club in Folkestone. Initially, the sport was played with sides ranging from 1–4 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.
The sport was played under the Pune rules until 1887, when the J.H.E. Hart of the Bath Badminton Club drew up revised regulations. In 1890, Hart and Bagnel Wild again revised the rules. The Badminton Association of England published these rules in 1893 and officially launched the sport at a house called "Dunbar"[n 3] in Portsmouth on 13 September. The BAE started the first badminton competition, the All England Open Badminton Championships for gentlemen's doubles, ladies' doubles, and mixed doubles, in 1899. Singles competitions were added in 1900 and an England—Ireland championship match appeared in 1904.
England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand were the founding members of the International Badminton Federation in 1934, now known as the Badminton World Federation. India joined as an affiliate in 1936. The BWF now governs international badminton. Although initiated in England, competitive men's badminton has traditionally been dominated in Europe by Denmark. Worldwide, Asian nations have become dominant in international competition. China, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea are the nations which have consistently produced world-class players in the past few decades, with China being the greatest force in men's and women's competition recently.
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Badminton in India:
Badminton is a popular sport in India. It is the second most played sport in India after Cricket.Badminton in India is managed by Badminton Association of India. Indian women's singles player SainaNehwal was ranked first in the world in 2015. Prakash Padukone and PullelaGopichand, both won the All England Open in 1980 and 2001 respectively. Saina is also the lone Indian badminton player to have won an Olympic medal when she won the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics. There are also number of notable players who have represented India in International Badminton Tournaments like Srikanth Kidambi, ParupalliKashyap, P.V. Sindhu, JwalaGutta, ValiyaveetilDiju, Ashwini Ponnappa, Ajay Jayaram ,Prannoy Kumar and our formal players like Syed Modi, Chetan Anand, Aparna Popat& U. Vimal Kumar.
Badminton in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
In the early 80’s the sport of badminton was introduced in Saudi Arabia and was played mainly by the expatriates during their leisure time. Over the years badminton has become a popular sport in Saudi Arabia that is played by all nationalities in all regions. Today there are more than 50 badminton clubs all over the kingdom with hundreds of active players. Saudi Aramco was the main promotor of Badminton in the Region and still continues to be the main supporter. The top class badminton courts of Aramco has been the most favorite choice of the players where most of the tournaments were conducted. Recently Saudi Badminton Committee has been formed promoting Badminton as an official sport in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Badminton Committee's is currently providing international training exposure for their junior Saudi players. We wish Saudi Badminton Committee and the upcoming Saudi players all the best in their endeavors.
