The Duke of Beaufort started the game of badminton on his estate in Gloucestershire. On one wet day in 1873, when the Duke wanted to entertain his guests, he improvised the game by placing a string in between to hit shuttle cocks over it. The guests were very delighted with this game, and they began to circulate it. In the beginning it was known as the ‘game from Badminton’ and later on Badminton became its official name.
As per the Royal Court records of U.K., badminton was first played in the 12th century. Some say that it was first played in England in the 17th century. But most sport historians are unanimous in the view that badminton originated in India centuries ago from where it was exported to England and then spread to other parts of the world. In India it was first played in Poona and was called Poone. Around 1870 some British army officers, who were stationed in India, introduced the game to some friends in England.
In 1893 the first Badminton Association was formed in England. It formed laws based on Poona rules of 1876. National Badminton Championship was first organized in England in 1899. This championship included men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The first International Championship was played in 1902 between England and Ireland. The International Badminton Federation, the world-governing body of the sport, was formed in 1934. Sir George Thomas was elected as its first president. He continued as the chairman for 21 years.
How is this game played? Badminton is a game played in court with lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock which is a small cork hemisphere with 14 to 16 feathers attached and weighing about 5 gms. Badminton competitions are usually played indoors because even light wind can affect the shuttle’s course. The court is 13.4 m (44 ft) long and 5.2 m (17 ft) wide for singles, 6.1 m (20 ft) wide for doubles. A 1.5 m (15 ft) high net stretches across the width of the court at its centre. Play involves hitting the shuttle back and forth across the net without letting it touch the ground, within the boundaries of the court. The doubles and men’s singles game consists of 15 or 21 points. The women’s singles game consists of 11 points.
International supremacy is determined by the Thomas Cup instituted in 1948. The Uber Cup championship is for women only and decides the women’s International Championship.