If you are wondering where the name badminton comes from, you are in the right place to find the answer. Badminton a well known, popular sport worldwide is often played amongst relatives and friends in backyards or at the beach.
The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was founded in 1934 with nine member nations: Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. There are 196 members as of today.
The origins of Badminton date back 2000 years where it was played in China, Greece, and India, developing into the sport we know today.
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Where does the name badminton come from?
The name of this sport comes from the Badminton House in Gloucestershire, the home of the Duke of Beaufort. Nowadays Gloucestershire is the base for the International Badminton Federation.
The word badminton itself comes from the villages from Gloucestershire, England which were first dated in 972AD.
But let’s go back to the Badminton House and its history. As I said earlier, it’s the home of the private house of the Duck and Dutchess of Beaufort.
The house it’s located in the Gloucestershire countryside. They are several stories about the way this sport got his name. The website for the USA Badminton team and a BBC article state that the first versions of badminton were played for hundreds of years in Europe, China and India and it was brought to England by the British army Officers that played this game in India, where it was called Poona.
Regarding its true origin, its name comes from the estate, Badminton in Gloucestershire.
Who first invented badminton?
Sports historians credit the game’s origin from a place called Poona, India where it was played simply with two players hitting a feathered shuttlecock back and forth with tiny rackets. It developed from the children’s game, named battledore and shuttlecock. The main aim of this game was to keep the cork stuffed with feathers (shuttlecock), in the air for as long as possible, with the help of a paddle, named battledore.
The shuttlecock is made from 16 goose feathers and it is said that the feathers from a goose’s left wing make the best shuttlecocks. Today you can purchase plastic shuttlecocks, but the ones made from feathers are still considered the best ones.
The modern game of badminton as we know it, developed in mid 19th century among the British, after the army officers returned from India and started a badminton club. It was established that the game would work best in teams of 2 or 4 competitors.
Where is badminton most popular?
Badminton’s a popular international game, played mainly in Europe and Asia. Its popularity is rising due to its health benefits, low cost and low risk of injuries.
Badminton is the most popular in China, South Korea, Denmark, Great Britain, Sweden, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Singapore.
Badminton is a dominant sport in China, being played all over the country, particularly in schools and colleges. China has many top players of badminton that are Olympic winners.
Badminton’s also popular in South Korea, which produced numerous world top players such as Lee Yong Dae, Son Wan Ho.
In 1925 in Denmark, the sport is when a sports shop owner started playing it with his friends. Today, the sport has become so popular because on cold days, it can be also played indoors. They are a few Danish players that held top places in the world rankings.
Of course, the United Kingdom cannot miss this list. The game has been played in the UK since 1873 when it took its modern name Badminton and has become popular played at schools and colleges all over the country.
As in the case of Denmark, badminton is a popular indoor game played by Swedish people on cold winter days. There is a growing popularity in Scandinavia of a version of the game called Crossminton, also known as Speed Badminton.
Badminton in Indonesia is the most successful sport in the country. They managed to earn gold medals at the Olympics since 1992.
Malaysia has a great national team of badminton that represents the country in international competitions.
In Thailand, one of the most known badminton players was the former King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who made notable contributions to this particular sport.
Badminton has a growing popularity in Japan. In 2016, at Rio Olympics, Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo won the women’s double title.
In Singapore, Badminton is the second most popular sport in terms of spectators, after soccer and is the fifth most played sport. Singapore first qualified for Thomas Cup, the world’s men team Championship in 1986, after it gained independence.
Why is badminton popular?
Badminton is popular because it can be played by all ages and is a fun way for family and friends to spend quality time together. With the versatility of being both an indoor and outdoor sport, it means it can be played almost anywhere that you can set up a net. It’s also an exciting sport to watch as a spectator, with lots of intense action.
To the question ‘Where does the name badminton come from?’, it comes from the House with the same name, Badminton, in Gloucestershire, England.