How Badminton got its name is as interesting as the game itself.
Badminton is a sport played with racquets and a shuttlecock – a feathered or plastic projectile. It is one of those few global sports which can be played both indoor and outdoor. It is played by either two opposing players or teams of two opposing players on a court divided by a net.
Historically, Denmark has dominated the sport in Europe, while Asian players, both men and women, have been winning almost all the global competitions in the game.
Here are some fun facts related to badminton –
1. Why Badminton is called Badminton?
Badminton is named after a place in England called Badminton House, the estate where the game was first played. Badminton House is the private home of the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort and lies in the Gloucestershire countryside.
2. The India Connection
Badminton’s history can be traced to British India in the 1800s, created by British military while stationed there.
3. The Shortest Badminton Match
The shortest badminton match lasted only six minutes. It was played in 1966 at the Uber Cup in Hong Kong between South Korean Ra Kyung-min and British player Julia Mann.
4. The Longest Badminton Match
The longest badminton match was played between Japan’s Kurumi Yonao and Naoko Fukuman and Indonesia’s Greysia Polii and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari. It was the 2016 Badminton Asian Championships women’s doubles semi-finals. The match continued for 161 minutes or two hours and 41 minutes, making it the longest badminton match of all time.
5. The Badminton Guinness Record
Austrian players, Mario Langmann and Thomas Paulweber, hold the Guinness Record for playing the longest marathon badminton match for 25 hours 25 minutes and 44 seconds.
6. The World’s Largest Shuttlecock
The art museum in Kansas city has World’s largest shuttlecock. It is an eighteen foot high aluminum and fiberglass shuttlecock which weighs close to three tons.
7. Second Only To Soccer
Badminton is second only to soccer in its popularity. It is estimated that across the world over 220 million people play badminton. Viewership has also increased with the introduction of premier leagues and emergence of Indian badminton players like Saina Nehwal and PV Sandhu.
8. U and G in Badminton
Badminton racquets are marked with the alphabets U and G. While U refers the racket weight, G describes its length. The rackets are categorized as 1U, 2U, 3U and 4U. 1U is the heaviest and 4U lightest.
9. A National Game
Badminton is the national game of Indonesia.
10. The Winning Point
The winning formula in a badminton game is simple and clear. If the shuttle touches the opponent’s section of the court, a point is awarded. 21 points is the winning point. The final result is declared based on the scores of three games in a particular match.