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History of Badminton
Where did it begin?
A style of game similar to badminton was played in Ancient Greece and early Far Eastern civilisations. This game has been given the name of battledore and shuttlecock. The object was to keep the rally going, not end it by defeating the opponent as it is today.
Rules of the game
The game was and is developed primarily in England. The children of the Duke of Beaufort played the game at Badminton House, the mansion in Gloucestershire.
A man named John Lorraine was a frequent visitor to Badminton House, and it is thought that he drew up the first set of rules for the sport. These rules were drawn up in Poona, India, in 1877.
Army officers on leave from India played the first competitive game with children's toys on a rainy day, and this is where the game developed from.
Associations
In 1893, the Badminton Association was formed with fourteen clubs. The rules regarding court sizes and size of the shuttlecocks should be standardised.
Before this, courts could vary between 13.4 and 18 metres (44 to 60 feet) in length, and as the shuttles were different sizes they went through the air at different speeds.
By 1914 there were 467 clubs, by 1923 there were 500 clubs, and by 1934 there were 1000 clubs, all being members of the Badminton Association.
There are now thousands of affiliated badminton clubs. In 1934, the Badminton Association ceded control of the worldwide game to the International Badminton Federation (IBF), and the Badminton Association became the Badminton Association of England (BA of E).
The International Badminton Federation regulates the game in over sixty countries, and organises major events like the World Championships, the Thomas Cup (for men) and the Uber Cup (for ladies).
There is also a Grand Prix tournament, the Seiko, which incorporates fifteen other major tournaments. Badminton is also an Olympic sport.
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