Badminton is officially the world’s fastest racket sport, which requires quick reflexes and superb conditioning. When smashed around the court, the shuttle travels at a speed of more than 300 km/hour. Here are ten facts about Badminton that will blow your mind!
Badminton is a LOT more intense than tennis
At 1985 All England (Tennis) Championships, Boris Becker defeated Kevin Curren 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. At the 1985 World Badminton Championships in Calgary, Canada, Han Jian of China defeated Morten Frost of Denmark, 14-18, 15-10, 15-8. The matches statistical comparison says that the badminton players competed for half the time, yet ran twice as far and hit nearly twice as many shots. Among the most amazing facts about Badminton?
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The Asian domination of the sport
Since its inclusion in the Olympics in 1992, Asian players have won a staggering 93 out of the 103 Olympic medals. The most successful badminton countries in the world are China and Indonesia, which have won 70% of all BWF events. The Thomas Cup, the men’s world team championships, has been won by only three countries since it began in 1948 – Malaysia, Indonesia, and China.
The only time the Uber Cup, the women’s world team championships, was won outside Asia was by the USA in 1957, 1960, and 1963; the other holders are China, Indonesia, Japan, and, more recently, South Korea.
Badminton is the 2nd most popular sport in the world
It has been claimed that Badminton is the second-most-popular participation sport in the world, only behind football. When Badminton was first included in the Olympics in 1992, 1.1 billion people watched the badminton competition on television. Among the most astounding facts about Badminton?
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A badminton match once lasted just 6 minutes
The shortest badminton match ever recorded was at the 1996 Uber Cup in Hong Kong, which lasted all of six minutes! Ra Kyung-min (South Korea) crushed Julia Mann (England) 11-2, 11-1, in that match. On the other hand, the longest game lasted 124 minutes and was contested between Peter Rasmussen (Denmark) and Sun Jun (China). Rasmussen won that encounter 16-17, 18-13, 15-10. Among the most bizarre facts about Badminton?
A shuttle is made from the left-wing of a goose
The average shuttlecock weighs between 4.74 to 5.5 grams, the best of which are made from the feathers of the left-wing of a goose. Sixteen feathers are used in the manufacture of a shuttle. During a top-level match, ten shuttles are used, with each being hit roughly 400 times. Should be among the less known facts about Badminton?
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India played its part in the discovery of the game
In India, the game existed before 1500 B.C. and was called “Poona.” It was named “Poona” because of its region of origin, the city “Pune.” It is said that “Poona” means “the game of the city Pune.” Initially, the game was played with the hand, using the palm as a racquet. Later on, the hands were replaced with the legs, which made this game popular among Indian men but extremely difficult for the Indian women.
Thus, it was separated into a men’s and a women’s game. In 1870, British officers that served in India brought with them back to the country the game Poona. The Duke of Beaufort, the Father of Badminton, was a great supporter of the game, which he played very often. However, this game was quite primitive for the elite of English society.
Thus, he preferred to play the woman’s version of the game of Poona with his friends and his daughters in his villa at the village Badminton of Gloucester. One day, as he was playing in the garden of his villa, it began to rain. Without hesitation, he emptied his dining room to continue the game there. This was also the beginning of the sport known as Badminton. Among the most touching facts about Badminton for Indians.
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It’s an easy but effective way to stay active
According to our calorie calculator, a 50-year-old weighing 70kg can burn 385 calories during an hour of social Badminton. And aside from calorie-burning, keeping active gives you more energy, relieves stress, and boosts your mood.
The strings of badminton racquets
While most of the players have started using synthetic strings over the years, some players still use guts made from the dried stomach lining of animals like cats or cows.
Badminton was initially played with the players’ feet
A game called Ti Zian Ji has initially been performed by the Chinese, which is the forerunner of Badminton. In this sport, the players used their feet instead of racquets to hit the shuttlecock! The game is still played in China!
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It’s social
If you join one of the U.K.’s more than 2,000 clubs, Badminton can be a high social activity. And if you fancy a low-key game, you don’t have to get all your family and friends involved. All you need is one willing partner, so you can play as often as you like. Among the most refreshing facts about Badminton?
These were a few unknown facts about Badminton, hope you liked it. Don’t forget to pen down your comments.
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