The average flight speed of a bird is 30 to 40 miles per hour. For badminton “birdies,” this estimation increases to 200 miles per hour. Badminton has been around for longer than most people can imagine, and the game continues to shock the world with its difficult, but interesting game play.
Badminton’s origins can be traced back over 2,000 years to Siam, China, where the locals played it for leisure. England adopted and popularized this sport in 1873, granting it the name “badminton” after the estate belonging to the Duke of Beaufort. Next, it was popularized in Canada, the U.S. in 1929 and finally, badminton was added to the Olympics in 1992. Since then, this sport has grown exponentially.
Although the sport is not as beloved in the Americas, it is the most popular racquet sport in continents such as Europe and Asia. Champions of the “All England” badminton tournament win a prize of over $2.5 million.
Danish badminton phenomenon Viktor Axelsen received over 1.2 billion viewers on television for his matches in 2022. Furthermore, Chinese star Lin Dan brought in $15 million for his sponsored company of badminton wear through his numerous fans.
Badminton is a singles and doubles game, meaning players compete against each other in teams of either one or two. The game is played in a best-of-three format, where each match section goes to 21 points. Players must use their racket to hit the birdie over the net and into their opponent’s half of the court to gain a point.
Evidently, serving is one of the most challenging parts of sport. Servers must hit the birdie below the waist, and all other players must stay stationary until the serve is complete. Fitness and health teacher Jennifer Baldaccini acknowledges how difficult the sport can be.
“It’s a lot harder than you think to hit the little birdie coming at you,” Baldaccini said. “We want to swing super hard, but it just floats.”
While badminton is pursued at the professional level in the Olympics and through the Badminton World Federation League, it is also a family- friendly, quickly picked-up game for people of all ages. Whether it’s played on the beach or at a park tennis court, badminton can be played anywhere, and the benefits of it are endless.
Not only can this sport increase strength and flexibility, but badminton also positively impacts the social aspects of athleticism. It’s a fun way to interact with people who have similar interests and build relationships.
Freshman Katie Mountford of Wall explains how playing improved some of these skills.
“It helped me learn how to work as a team and work off of other people’s strengths,” Mountford states. “I had to play around my partner’s skills and listen to them when we played.”
As for CHS, badminton is not a part of the fitness curriculum, but Baldaccini reports that it’s popular with many students on their off time.
“We haven’t formally [played badminton], but some of the kids play when it’s their choice,” Baldaccini said. “We have badminton racquets and we have lots of birdies. I think it’s a great sport.”
