Not "Just a backyard game"

Whenever the game of badminton is mentioned, typically what comes to the minds of many is playing around in someone’s backyard, and nothing more. However, as the 2nd most popular sport in the world, badminton is far more than that.

• Modern badminton was developed in the mid-19th century. It was derived from the game “Poona”, which was played by British Military soldiers stationed in India in the 1860s. When the soldiers returned home, they brought the game to England in 1873. The name itself comes from “Badminton House”, which is where the Duke of Beaufort resided, and introduced the game for his guests. There, the game developed popularity.
  
  
• A Relatively New Olympic Sport – Badminton made its first appearance in 1972 at the Munich Olympic Games. However, it was only a demonstration. It wasn’t until 1992 when Badminton was included as an official sport in the Barcelona Olympics Games. At that time, only Women’s and Men’s singles and doubles events were played. Mixed doubles became an event in 1996.
  
  
• The Shuttle: The Fastest Recorded Object in Sport – In 2013, a new World Record was set by Tan Boon Hoeng, recording a whopping 493 km/h smash. Golf comes in at a far Second Place with the fastest recorded drive at 349.38 km/hr in 2013. Tennis, comes in 5th Place with the fastest smash being recorded at 263.4 km/h in 2012.

 

• The Second Most Popular Sport in the World – It is estimated that there are over 220 Million badminton participants globally. It is the second most popular sport in the world, coming second only to soccer with a participant estimate of 265 Million.

 

• Shuttle Composition – The feather shuttle is composed of 16 goose/duck feathers, and a cork head. There is also a plastic version more common in recreational play. Excitingly, in 2020 the World Federation of Badminton approved the use of synthetic feather shuttles which will serve as a more durable and sustainable alternative to the feather shuttle.

 

• A Great Way to Stay Active! – Badminton is a full body sport, requiring multiple energy systems and muscle groups. It is estimated to be about 70% aerobic (endurance) exercise with 30% anaerobic (explosive). It also targets joint mobility, strength, coordination, balance and reaction-time. In a 1-hour game, a player can burn up to 500Cal.

 
So as you can see… It’s MUCH more than “just a backyard game”!
 
Sources: https://olympic.ca/2020/06/01/pride-month-2020-team-canada-events-activities-and-discussions/
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Badminton/USAB/History/Brief-History-of-Badminton#:~:text=Badminton%20has%20its%20origins%20in,England%20and%20many%20European%20countries.