Badminton is a racket sport whose exact origins are still a tantalising mystery. It evolved from the older games of battledore and shuttlecock, which were popular pastimes in Europe—particularly among the more affluent classes. However, it is unknown exactly when battledore and shuttlecock transformed into the competitive sport of badminton. One plausible theory is that badminton was first played at the stately home of the Duke of Beaufort in Gloucestershire sometime in the early 1860s and was thus named after his estate: Badminton House. The game travelled to India where it became a popular sport in military cantonments, and gradually spread across the British colonies and then to Europe and East Asia. Today, badminton is a global sport with widespread appeal among people of all ages and abilities.
Brief overview of the rules
Badminton is a racket sport played indoors by two opposing players (singles) or two pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a court divided by a net. Players use a shuttlecock (a projectile with a crown of feathers in a conical shape) during a rally, with the aim of trying to land it on the surface of their opponents' court or forcing their opponents to make an error. A point is won/lost every serve in the game. Players must win two games of 21 points to win the match (best of three).
Olympic history
Badminton made its Olympic debut as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Games in Munich, and was included as an exhibition sport at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games; four years later badminton became an official part of the Olympic program at the 1992 Games in Barcelona with four medal categories: men’s and women’s singles, and men’s and women’s doubles.
Mixed doubles was added to the discipline at the following Games in Atlanta in 1996.
Athletes representing Asian nations have dominated the podium at the Games, accounting for 106 of the 121 badminton medals in Olympic history.
At Paris 2024, 172 athletes will compete in the badminton competition. The events of men’s and women's singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles will be contested across 10 days of competition with five gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded.
