Facts about Badminton you didn’t know in 2024

Facts about Badminton you didn't know in 2022

Many facts about badminton are well-known: to play it, you need to have quick reflexes, be in great shape, and it’s an excellent way to spend quality time with your family and friends, just like any other sport.

But did you know that badminton has a long history? Keep on reading and find out this and many more interesting facts about badminton.

Badminton history facts

Let’s learn more about the origins of badminton and see why this sport is so popular among people. 

1. Where did Badminton originate?

(Sportskeeda) (BG Badminton)

Badminton originally comes from India. In its earlier form, badminton had been around for approximately 2000 years. Its modern version was first known as “Poona.”

The name came from the city of Pune, India, and it is believed that “Poona” actually means “the game of the city Pune.”

2. It was originally played by hand.

(Sportskeeda)

In the beginning, players used their hands to hit the ball. Eventually, they started using their legs instead, which made the game difficult for women. This divided the sport into two categories – men and women.

3. Where does the name badminton come from?

(Sportkeeda)

The game was named after the village of Badminton in Gloucestershire. In the 1870s, when British officers brought this game to the UK with them from India, it became quite popular. The Duke of Beaufort, also known as the Father of Badminton, was a great fan of the game.

He liked playing the woman’s version of the game in his villa at the village Badminton of Gloucestershire, which is how the game got its name.

4. First shuttlecocks were made of wool.

(Badminton Blaze)

In the beginning, people used wool to make shuttlecocks, which made it easier to play the game during windy or wet weather. Today, competitions are held indoors, but people still use wool shuttlecocks in some parts of the world.

5. The first official badminton club was formed in the UK.

(The Fact File)

In 1877, the first official club was formed in Bath under the name “The Bath Badminton Club.” It was here where the rules of the game were set, which were later acknowledged and published by the Badminton Association of England.

6. The first official game was played years after the game was invented.

(The Fact File)

Even though the game had been played informally for many years, it was at Badminton, Gloucestershire, where the first official game of badminton was played.

7. It is a sport known by many names.

(The Fact File)

The original name was Poona. Afterwards, when the Brits adopted the game, it was known as battledore, shuttlecock, and badminton.

Facts about badminton for kids

Let’s take a look at some fun badminton facts for kids. These might motivate your children to pick up their racquets and have fun.

8. Badminton is similar to tennis.

(Kidz World)

Both sports are played on a court with a net, using racquets, and one of the differences is that badminton players use a “birdie” or “shuttlecock”. Badminton is the fastest racquet sport out there. So if your child likes tennis, chances are they’ll like badminton as well.

9. Kids can benefit from playing badminton.

(For Kids Plus)

Badminton can help children develop both physically and personally, and it can improve their eye vision and increase their attention span.

10. It’s important to choose the right racquet for your child.

(For Kids Plus)

Children’s badminton racquets go from 21 to 23 inches and weigh from 4u to 2u ( 80gr to 90gr). The letter “u” stands for the weight of the badminton racquet. The higher the number of “u”, the lighter the racquet is.

11. Badminton has a minimal serious injury risk.

(For Kids Plus)

Since it’s considered a non-contact sport, where players don’t interact directly, there are small chances your child will get seriously injured. Additionally, playing this sport does not put an extreme load on your child’s ligaments and joints.

Related: How tall is a badminton net?

Fun facts about badminton

12. From what are shuttlecocks made from?

(Badminton Blaze)

Shuttlecocks are usually made from left-wing geese feathers. It takes exactly 16 feathers to make one shuttlecock, and mixing left and right-wing feathers are not recommended because this can affect flying properties.

13. The strings for the racquets were made from the stomach linings of cats.

(Sportskeeda)

Nowadays, racquet strings are usually made from synthetic materials. However, some players still use racquets with strings made from the stomach linings of cows and cats.

14. The shortest badminton match lasted less than 10 minutes.

(The Fact File)

Here is an interesting piece of badminton trivia: this short match was played in 1966 in Hong Kong between a South Korean player Ra Kyung-min and a British player Julia Mann, and it lasted for six whole minutes.

15. The longest badminton match lasted more than 25 hours.

(The Fact File)

Mario Langmann and Thomas Paulweber from Austria hold the record for the longest marathon badminton match. It lasted for 25 hours, 25 minutes, and 44 seconds.

16. The shuttlecock is a pretty fast sports object.

(The Fact File)

Even though it looks small and light, the shuttlecock is pretty fast. In 2013, a racquet technology test was conducted, which recorded the shuttlecock speed of 493 kilometers per hour. This record was set by player Tan Boon Heong from Malaysia.

17. The weather is an important factor in badminton.

(The Fact File)

Badminton tournaments are usually played indoors. The movement and speed of the shuttlecock are affected by many factors – weather, temperature, and altitude. When the weather is hot, the shuttlecock flies faster, and vice versa.

18. Unlike tennis players, badminton players can only serve once.

(The Fact File)

It’s the official badminton rule that players only have one try at service. If the player doesn’t manage to serve properly, they simply lose their service, unlike tennis players, where they have the double fault rule.

19. Badminton is played both inside and outside.

(The Fact File)

Whether you play it recreationally or professionally, badminton can be played both indoors and outdoors. Professional games are always played inside since even the slightest breeze can change the movement of the shuttlecock, and interfere with the game.

Badminton UK statistics 

20. How many people play badminton in England?

(Statista)

According to the badminton participation statistics, around 948,000 people in England played badminton in 2017. However, by 2021, this number dropped to approximately 278,000, most probably due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

21. UK public funding for Olympic badminton for the 2024 Paris Olympics stands at £3,154,358.

(UK Sport)

This is significantly more than the amount reserved for participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (£946,779), but less than 2016 Rio Olympics funding (£5,737,524).

Badminton participation statistics worldwide

22. Anyone can play badminton. 

(Master Badminton, Master Badminton)

If you are playing for fun, there is no age limit. However, if you are interested in playing professionally, you can start in your teen years, and expect to retire after you’ve turned 30.

23. Most popular badminton players come from Asian countries. 

(Players Bio)

Badminton player statistics indicate that the most famous badminton players come from Asian countries. Some of them include:

  • Lin Dan (China)
     
  • Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia)
  • Gao Ling (China)
  • Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia)
  • Rudy Hartono (Indonesia)
  • Liem Swie King (Indonesia)
  • Li Lingwei (China)
  • Han Aiping (China)

24. Who are the most popular badminton tournaments?

(Leegues)

The most popular badminton tournaments are:

  • BWF Thomas Cup
  • BWF Uber Cup
  • BWF Sudirman Cup
  • BWF World Championship
  • BWF World Juniors Championship
  • World Grand Prix Finals

Tennis vs Badminton Statistics

Many people often tend to compare tennis and badminton. Let’s see to what degree these two sports differ.

25. Shuttlecock goes faster than the tennis ball.

(The Badminton Guide)

According to the Guinness World Record, the fastest recorded speed of the tennis ball is 263 km/h, and the fastest recorded speed of a shuttlecock is 426km/h. Also, the shuttlecock is lighter than the tennis ball.

26. Tennis racquet vs badminton racquet.

(The Badminton Guide)

Tennis racquets usually weigh between 255 and 340 grams, and badminton racquets weigh between 80 and 100 grams. The maximum length of tennis racquets is 73.7 cm, while it’s 68cm for badminton racquets.

27. Badminton court vs tennis court.

(The Badminton Guide)

Tennis courts are 23.78 m long and 10.97 m wide, whereas the badminton courts are 13.4 m long and 5.18 m wide.

28. Tennis vs badminton rules.

(Badminton Bites)

What’s similar about these two sports (aside from both using racquets) is that you can score points in both if a fault is called (though reasons for calling a fault in these two sports do differ). 

These sports differ in many things. For example, tennis rules allow the ball to bounce once before you hit it, while badminton rules do not allow the shuttlecock to touch the ground if you want to score.

29. Tennis vs badminton shoes.

(Tennis World Live)

It is highly recommended you wear the right shoes for each sport. Badminton shoes have non-marking rubber since it is played on different surfaces. They need good cushioning, but not as much as your tennis shoes. Also, badminton shoes have lower heels than tennis shoes.

Bottom line

As you can see, badminton is a pretty popular sport full of rich history. In this article, we covered plenty of stats and facts about badminton. Perhaps this text will make badminton more appealing to you, or just confirm your love for the sport.

Sources:

Badminton Bites

Badminton Blaze

BG Badminton

For Kids Plus

Kidz World

Leegues

Master Badminton

Master Badminton

Players Bio

Sportskeeda

Statista

Tennis World Live

The Badminton Guide

The Fact File

UK Sport

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