Badminton

Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a

shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger
teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with
one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players per side).
Badminton is often played as a casual outdoor activity in a yard
or on a beach; formal games are played on a rectangular
indoor court. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with
the racquet and landing it within the opposing side's half of the
court.
Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes
over the net. Play ends once the shuttlecock has struck the
floor or if a fault has been called by the umpire, service judge,
or (in their absence) the opposing side.[1]
The shuttlecock is a feathered or (in informal matches) plastic
projectile which flies differently from the balls used in many
other sports. In particular, the feathers create much higher
drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly.
Shuttlecocks also have a high top speed compared to the balls
in other racquet sports. The flight of the shuttlecock gives the
sport its distinctive nature.
The game developed in British India from the earlier game of
battledore and shuttlecock. European play came to be
dominated by Denmark but the game has become very popular
in Asia, with recent competitions dominated by China. Since
1992, badminton has been a Summer Olympic sport with four
events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and
women's doubles,[2] with mixed doubles added four years later.
At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent fitness:
players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and
precision. It is also a technical sport, requiring good motor
coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet
movements
History
Games employing shuttlecocks have been played for centuries
across Eurasia,[a] but the modern game of badminton
developed in the mid-19th century among the British as a
variant of the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock.
("Battledore" was an older term for "racquet".)[4] Its exact origin
remains obscure. The name derives from the Duke of
Beaufort's Badminton House in Gloucestershire,[5] but why or
when remains unclear. As early as 1860, a London toy dealer
named Isaac Spratt published a booklet entitled Badminton
Battledore – A New Game, but no copy is known to have
survived.[6] An 1863 article in The Cornhill Magazine describes
badminton as "battledore and shuttlecock played with sides,
across a string suspended some five feet from the ground".[7]
The game may have originally developed among expatriate
officers in British India,[8] where it was very popular by the
1870s.[6] Ball badminton, a form of the game played with a wool
ball instead of a shuttlecock, was being played in Thanjavur as
early as the 1850s[9] and was at first played interchangeably
with badminton by the British, the woollen ball being preferred
in windy or wet weather.
Early on, the game was also known as Poona or Poonah after
the garrison town of Pune,[8][10] where it was particularly popular
and where the first rules for the game were drawn up in 1873.[6]
[7][b]
By 1875, officers returning home had started a badminton
club in Folkestone. Initially, the sport was played with sides
ranging from 1 to 4 players, but it was quickly established that
games between two or four competitors worked the best.[4] The
shuttlecocks were coated with India rubber and, in outdoor
play, sometimes weighted with lead.[4] Although the depth of the
net was of no consequence, it was preferred that it should
reach the ground.[4]
The sport was played under the Pune rules until 1887, when J.
H. E. Hart of the Bath Badminton Club drew up revised
regulations.[5] In 1890, Hart and Bagnel Wild again revised the
rules.[6] The Badminton Association of England (BAE) published
these rules in 1893 and officially launched the sport at a house
called "Dunbar"[c] in Portsmouth on 13 September.[12] The BAE
started the first badminton competition, the All England Open
Badminton Championships for gentlemen's doubles, ladies'
doubles, and mixed doubles, in 1899.[5] Singles competitions
were added in 1900 and an England–Ireland championship
match appeared in 1904.[5]
England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland,
the Netherlands, and New Zealand were the founding
members of the International Badminton Federation in 1934,
now known as the Badminton World Federation. India joined as
an affiliate in 1936. The BWF now governs international
badminton. Although initiated in England, competitive men's
badminton has traditionally been dominated in Europe by
Denmark. Worldwide, Asian nations have become dominant in
international competition. China, Denmark, India, Indonesia,
Malaysia, and South Korea are the nations which have
consistently produced world-class players in the past few
decades, with China being the greatest force in men's and
women's competition recently.
The game has also become a popular backyard sport in the
United States.
Rules
The following information is a simplified summary of badminton
rules based on the BWF Statutes publication, Laws of
Badminton.

Court
The court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net.
Courts are usually marked for both singles and doubles play,
although badminton rules permit a court to be marked for
singles only.[13] The doubles court is wider than the singles
court, but both are of the same length. The exception, which
often causes confusion to newer players, is that the doubles
court has a shorter serve-length dimension.
The full width of the court is 6.1 metres (20 ft), and in singles
this width is reduced to 5.18 metres (17 ft). The full length of
the court is 13.4 metres (44 ft). The service courts are marked
by a centre line dividing the width of the court, by a short
service line at a distance of 1.98 metres (6 ft 6 inch) from the
net, and by the outer side and back boundaries. In doubles, the
service court is also marked by a long service line, which is
0.76 metres (2 ft 6 inch) from the back boundary.
The net is 1.55 metres (5 ft 1 inch) high at the edges and
1.524 metres (5 ft) high in the centre. The net posts are placed
over the doubles sidelines, even when singles is played.
The minimum height for the ceiling above the court is not
mentioned in the Laws of Badminton. Nonetheless, a
badminton court will not be suitable if the ceiling is likely to be
hit on a high serve.
Serving
When the server serves, the shuttlecock must pass over the
short service line on the opponents' court or it will count as a
fault.
At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in
diagonally opposite service courts (see court dimensions). The
server hits the shuttlecock so that it would land in the receiver's
service court. This is similar to tennis, except that a badminton
serve must be hit below waist height and with the racquet shaft
pointing downwards, the shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce
and in badminton, the players stand inside their service courts,
unlike tennis.
When the serving side loses a rally, the server immediately
passes to their opponent(s) (this differs from the old system
where sometimes the serve passes to the doubles partner for
what is known as a "second serve").
In singles, the server stands in their right service court when
their score is even, and in her/his left service court when
her/his score is odd.
In doubles, if the serving side wins a rally, the same player
continues to serve, but he/she changes service courts so that
she/he serves to a different opponent each time. If the
opponents win the rally and their new score is even, the player
in the right service court serves; if odd, the player in the left
service court serves. The players' service courts are
determined by their positions at the start of the previous rally,
not by where they were standing at the end of the rally. A
consequence of this system is that each time a side regains the
service, the server will be the player who did not serve last
time.
Scoring
Main article: Scoring system development of badminton

Each game is played to 21 points, with players scoring a point

whenever they win a rally regardless of whether they served [13]
(this differs from the old system where players could only win a
point on their serve and each game was played to 15 points). A
match is the best of three games.
If the score reaches 20-all, then the game continues until one
side gains a two-point lead (such as 24–22), except when there
is a tie at 29-all, in which the game goes to a golden point.
Whoever scores this point will win.
At the start of a match, the shuttlecock is cast and the side
towards which the shuttlecock is pointing serves first.
Alternatively, a coin may be tossed, with the winners choosing
whether to serve or receive first, or choosing which end of the
court to occupy first, and their opponents making the leftover
the remaining choice.
In subsequent games, the winners of the previous game serve
first. Matches are best out of three: a player or pair must win
two games (of 21 points each) to win the match. For the first
rally of any doubles game, the serving pair may decide who
serves and the receiving pair may decide who receives. The
players change ends at the start of the second game; if the
match reaches a third game, they change ends both at the start
of the game and when the leading player's or pair's score
reaches 11 points.
The server and receiver must remain within their service
courts, without touching the boundary lines, until the server
strikes the shuttlecock. The other two players may stand
wherever they wish, so long as they do not block the vision of
the server or receiver.
Lets
If a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no
change to the score. Lets may occur because of some
unexpected disturbance such as a shuttlecock landing on a
court (having been hit there by players playing in adjacent
court) or in small halls the shuttle may touch an overhead rail
which can be classed as a let.
If the receiver is not ready when the service is delivered, a let
shall be called; yet, if the receiver attempts to return the
shuttlecock, the receiver shall be judged to have been ready.

Equipment
Badminton rules restrict the design and size of racquets and
shuttlecocks.

Racquets
Badminton racquets are lightweight, with top quality racquets
weighing between 70 and 95 grams (2.5 and 3.4 ounces) not
including grip or strings.[14][15] They are composed of many
different materials ranging from carbon fibre composite
(graphite reinforced plastic) to solid steel, which may be
augmented by a variety of materials. Carbon fibre has an
excellent strength to weight ratio, is stiff, and gives excellent
kinetic energy transfer. Before the adoption of carbon fibre
composite, racquets were made of light metals such as
aluminium. Earlier still, racquets were made of wood. Cheap
racquets are still often made of metals such as steel, but
wooden racquets are no longer manufactured for the ordinary
market, because of their excessive mass and cost. Nowadays,
nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and fullerene are
added to racquets giving them greater durability.[citation needed]
There is a wide variety of racquet designs, although the laws
limit the racquet size and shape. Different racquets have
playing characteristics that appeal to different players. The
traditional oval head shape is still available, but an isometric
head shape is increasingly common in new racquets.

Strings
Badminton strings are thin, high performing strings with
thicknesses ranging from about 0.62 to 0.73 mm. Thicker
strings are more durable, but many players prefer the feel of
thinner strings. String tension is normally in the range of 80 to
160 N (18 to 36 lbf). Recreational players generally string at
lower tensions than professionals, typically between 80 and
110 N (18 and 25 lbf). Professionals string between about 110
and 160 N (25 and 36 lbf). Some string manufacturers measure
the thickness of their strings under tension so they are actually
thicker than specified when slack. Ashaway Micropower is
actually 0.7mm but Yonex BG-66 is about 0.72mm.
It is often argued that high string tensions improve control,
whereas low string tensions increase power.[16] The arguments
for this generally rely on crude mechanical reasoning, such as
claiming that a lower tension string bed is more bouncy and
therefore provides more power. This is, in fact, incorrect, for a
higher string tension can cause the shuttle to slide off the
racquet and hence make it harder to hit a shot accurately. An
alternative view suggests that the optimum tension for power
depends on the player:[14] the faster and more accurately a
player can swing their racquet, the higher the tension for
maximum power. Neither view has been subjected to a
rigorous mechanical analysis, nor is there clear evidence in
favour of one or the other. The most effective way for a player
to find a good string tension is to experiment.

Grip
The choice of grip allows a player to increase the thickness of
their racquet handle and choose a comfortable surface to hold.
A player may build up the handle with one or several grips
before applying the final layer.
Players may choose between a variety of grip materials. The
most common choices are PU synthetic grips or towelling grips.
Grip choice is a matter of personal preference. Players often
find that sweat becomes a problem; in this case, a drying agent
may be applied to the grip or hands, sweatbands may be used,
the player may choose another grip material or change his/her
grip more frequently.
There are two main types of grip: replacement grips and
overgrips. Replacement grips are thicker and are often used to
increase the size of the handle. Overgrips are thinner (less
than 1 mm), and are often used as the final layer. Many
players, however, prefer to use replacement grips as the final
layer. Towelling grips are always replacement grips.
Replacement grips have an adhesive backing, whereas
overgrips have only a small patch of adhesive at the start of the
tape and must be applied under tension; overgrips are more
convenient for players who change grips frequently, because
they may be removed more rapidly without damaging the
underlying material.

Shuttlecock
A shuttlecock (often abbreviated to shuttle; also called a birdie)
is a high-drag projectile, with an open conical shape: the cone
is formed from sixteen overlapping feathers embedded into a
rounded cork base. The cork is covered with thin leather or
synthetic material. Synthetic shuttles are often used by
recreational players to reduce their costs as feathered shuttles
break easily. These nylon shuttles may be constructed with
either natural cork or synthetic foam base and a plastic skirt.
Badminton rules also provide for testing a shuttlecock for the
correct speed:
3.1: To test a shuttlecock, hit a full underhand stroke which
makes contact with the shuttlecock over the back boundary
line. The shuttlecock shall be hit at an upward angle and in a
direction parallel to the sidelines.
3.2: A shuttlecock of the correct speed will land not less than
530 mm and not more than 990 mm short of the other back
boundary line.

Shoes
Badminton shoes are lightweight with soles of rubber or similar
high-grip, non-marking materials.
Compared to running shoes, badminton shoes have little lateral
support. High levels of lateral support are useful for activities
where lateral motion is undesirable and unexpected.
Badminton, however, requires powerful lateral movements. A
highly built-up lateral support will not be able to protect the foot
in badminton; instead, it will encourage catastrophic collapse at
the point where the shoe's support fails, and the player's ankles
are not ready for the sudden loading, which can cause sprains.
For this reason, players should choose badminton shoes rather
than general trainers or running shoes, because proper
badminton shoes will have a very thin sole, lower a person's
centre of gravity, and therefore result in fewer injuries. Players
should also ensure that they learn safe and proper footwork,
with the knee and foot in alignment on all lunges. This is more
than just a safety concern: proper footwork is also critical in
order to move effectively around the court.

Technique
Strokes
Badminton offers a wide variety of basic strokes, and players
require a high level of skill to perform all of them effectively. All
strokes can be played either forehand or backhand. A player's
forehand side is the same side as their playing hand: for a
right-handed player, the forehand side is their right side and the
backhand side is their left side. Forehand strokes are hit with
the front of the hand leading (like hitting with the palm),
whereas backhand strokes are hit with the back of the hand
leading (like hitting with the knuckles). Players frequently play
certain strokes on the forehand side with a backhand hitting
action, and vice versa.
In the forecourt and midcourt, most strokes can be played
equally effectively on either the forehand or backhand side; but
in the rear court, players will attempt to play as many strokes
as possible on their forehands, often preferring to play a round-
the-head forehand overhead (a forehand "on the backhand
side") rather than attempt a backhand overhead. Playing a
backhand overhead has two main disadvantages. First, the
player must turn their back to their opponents, restricting their
view of them and the court. Second, backhand overheads
cannot be hit with as much power as forehands: the hitting
action is limited by the shoulder joint, which permits a much
greater range of movement for a forehand overhead than for a
backhand. The backhand clear is considered by most players
and coaches to be the most difficult basic stroke in the game,
since the precise technique is needed in order to muster
enough power for the shuttlecock to travel the full length of the
court. For the same reason, backhand smashes tend to be
weak.

Position of the shuttlecock and receiving player

The choice of stroke depends on how near the shuttlecock is to
the net, whether it is above net height, and where an opponent
is currently positioned: players have much better attacking
options if they can reach the shuttlecock well above net height,
especially if it is also close to the net. In the forecourt, a high
shuttlecock will be met with a net kill, hitting it steeply
downwards and attempting to win the rally immediately. This is
why it is best to drop the shuttlecock just over the net in this
situation. In the midcourt, a high shuttlecock will usually be
met with a powerful smash, also hitting downwards and hoping
for an outright winner or a weak reply. Athletic jump smashes,
where players jump upwards for a steeper smash angle, are a
common and spectacular element of elite men's doubles play.
In the rearcourt, players strive to hit the shuttlecock while it is
still above them, rather than allowing it to drop lower. This
overhead hitting allows them to play smashes, clears (hitting
the shuttlecock high and to the back of the opponents' court),
and drop shots (hitting the shuttlecock softly so that it falls
sharply downwards into the opponents' forecourt). If the
shuttlecock has dropped lower, then a smash is impossible and
a full-length, high clear is difficult.

Vertical position of the shuttlecock

When the shuttlecock is well below net height, players have
no choice but to hit upwards. Lifts, where the shuttlecock is hit
upwards to the back of the opponents' court, can be played
from all parts of the court. If a player does not lift, his only
remaining option is to push the shuttlecock softly back to the
net: in the forecourt, this is called a net shot; in the midcourt or
rear court, it is often called a push or block.
When the shuttlecock is near to net height, players can hit
drives, which travel flat and rapidly over the net into the
opponents' rear midcourt and rear court. Pushes may also be
hit flatter, placing the shuttlecock into the front midcourt. Drives
and pushes may be played from the midcourt or forecourt, and
are most often used in doubles: they are an attempt to regain
the attack, rather than choosing to lift the shuttlecock and
defend against smashes. After a successful drive or push, the
opponents will often be forced to lift the shuttlecock.
Spin
Balls may be spun to alter their bounce (for example, topspin
and backspin in tennis) or trajectory, and players may slice the
ball (strike it with an angled racquet face) to produce such spin.
The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce, but slicing the
shuttlecock does have applications in badminton. (See Basic
strokes for an explanation of technical terms.)
 Slicing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it to travel
in a different direction from the direction suggested by the
player's racquet or body movement. This is used to
deceive opponents.
 Slicing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it to follow
a slightly curved path (as seen from above), and the
deceleration imparted by the spin causes sliced strokes to
slow down more suddenly towards the end of their flight
path. This can be used to create drop shots and smashes
that dip more steeply after they pass the net.
 When playing a net shot, slicing underneath the
shuttlecock may cause it to turn over itself (tumble) several
times as it passes the net. This is called a spinning net
shot or tumbling net shot. The opponent will be unwilling to
address the shuttlecock until it has corrected its
orientation.
Due to the way that its feathers overlap, a shuttlecock also has
a slight natural spin about its axis of rotational symmetry. The
spin is in a counter-clockwise direction as seen from above
when dropping a shuttlecock. This natural spin affects certain
strokes: a tumbling net shot is more effective if the slicing
action is from right to left, rather than from left to right.

Biomechanics
Badminton biomechanics have not been the subject of
extensive scientific study, but some studies confirm the minor
role of the wrist in power generation and indicate that the major
contributions to power come from internal and external
rotations of the upper and lower arm.[18] Recent guides to the
sport thus emphasize forearm rotation rather than wrist
movements.[19]
The feathers impart substantial drag, causing the shuttlecock to
decelerate greatly over distance. The shuttlecock is also
extremely aerodynamically stable: regardless of initial
orientation, it will turn to fly cork-first and remain in the cork-first
orientation.
One consequence of the shuttlecock's drag is that it requires
considerable power to hit it the full length of the court, which is
not the case for most racquet sports. The drag also influences
the flight path of a lifted (lobbed) shuttlecock: the parabola of its
flight is heavily skewed so that it falls at a steeper angle than it
rises. With very high serves, the shuttlecock may even fall
vertically.

Other factors
When defending against a smash, players have three basic
options: lift, block, or drive. In singles, a block to the net is the
most common reply. In doubles, a lift is the safest option but it
usually allows the opponents to continue smashing; blocks and
drives are counter-attacking strokes but may be intercepted by
the smasher's partner. Many players use a backhand hitting
action for returning smashes on both the forehand and
backhand sides because backhands are more effective than
forehands at covering smashes directed to the body. Hard
shots directed towards the body are difficult to defend.
The service is restricted by the Laws and presents its own
array of stroke choices. Unlike in tennis, the server's racquet
must be pointing in a downward direction to deliver the serve
so normally the shuttle must be hit upwards to pass over the
net. The server can choose a low serve into the forecourt (like
a push), or a lift to the back of the service court, or a flat drive
serve. Lifted serves may be either high serves, where the
shuttlecock is lifted so high that it falls almost vertically at the
back of the court, or flick serves, where the shuttlecock is lifted
to a lesser height but falls sooner.

Deception
Once players have mastered these basic strokes, they can hit
the shuttlecock from and to any part of the court, powerfully
and softly as required. Beyond the basics, however, badminton
offers rich potential for advanced stroke skills that provide a
competitive advantage. Because badminton players have to
cover a short distance as quickly as possible, the purpose of
many advanced strokes is to deceive the opponent, so that
either he is tricked into believing that a different stroke is being
played, or he is forced to delay his movement until he actually
sees the shuttle's direction. "Deception" in badminton is often
used in both of these senses. When a player is genuinely
deceived, he will often lose the point immediately because he
cannot change his direction quickly enough to reach the
shuttlecock. Experienced players will be aware of the trick and
cautious not to move too early, but the attempted deception is
still useful because it forces the opponent to delay his
movement slightly. Against weaker players whose intended
strokes are obvious, an experienced player may move before
the shuttlecock has been hit, anticipating the stroke to gain an
advantage.
Slicing and using a shortened hitting action are the two main
technical devices that facilitate deception. Slicing involves
hitting the shuttlecock with an angled racquet face, causing it to
travel in a different direction than suggested by the body or arm
movement. Slicing also causes the shuttlecock to travel more
slowly than the arm movement suggests. For example, a good
crosscourt sliced drop shot will use a hitting action that
suggests a straight clear or a smash, deceiving the opponent
about both the power and direction of the shuttlecock. A more
sophisticated slicing action involves brushing the strings
around the shuttlecock during the hit, in order to make the
shuttlecock spin. This can be used to improve the shuttle's
trajectory, by making it dip more rapidly as it passes the net; for
example, a sliced low serve can travel slightly faster than a
normal low serve, yet land on the same spot. Spinning the
shuttlecock is also used to create spinning net shots (also
called tumbling net shots), in which the shuttlecock turns over
itself several times (tumbles) before stabilizing; sometimes the
shuttlecock remains inverted instead of tumbling. The main
advantage of a spinning net shot is that the opponent will be
unwilling to address the shuttlecock until it has stopped
tumbling, since hitting the feathers will result in an
unpredictable stroke. Spinning net shots are especially
important for high-level singles players.
The lightness of modern racquets allows players to use a very
short hitting action for many strokes, thereby maintaining the
option to hit a powerful or a soft stroke until the last possible
moment. For example, a singles player may hold his racquet
ready for a net shot, but then flick the shuttlecock to the back
instead with a shallow lift when she or he notices the opponent
has moved before the actual shot was played. A shallow lift
takes less time to reach the ground and as mentioned above a
rally is over when the shuttlecock touches the ground. This
makes the opponent's task of covering the whole court much
more difficult than if the lift was hit higher and with a bigger,
obvious swing. A short hitting action is not only useful for
deception: it also allows the player to hit powerful strokes when
he has no time for a big arm swing. A big arm swing is also
usually not advised in badminton because bigger swings make
it more difficult to recover for the next shot in fast exchanges.
The use of grip tightening is crucial to these techniques, and is
often described as finger power. Elite players develop finger
power to the extent that they can hit some power strokes, such
as net kills, with less than a 10 centimetres (4 inches) racquet
swing.
It is also possible to reverse this style of deception, by
suggesting a powerful stroke before slowing down the hitting
action to play a soft stroke. In general, this latter style of
deception is more common in the rear court (for example, drop
shots disguised as smashes), whereas the former style is more
common in the forecourt and midcourt (for example, lifts
disguised as net shots).
Deception is not limited to slicing and short hitting actions.
Players may also use double motion, where they make an
initial racquet movement in one direction before withdrawing
the racquet to hit in another direction. Players will often do this
to send opponents in the wrong direction. The racquet
movement is typically used to suggest a straight angle but then
play the stroke crosscourt, or vice versa. Triple motion is also
possible, but this is very rare in actual play. An alternative to
double motion is to use a racquet head fake, where the initial
motion is continued but the racquet is turned during the hit.
This produces a smaller change in direction but does not
require as much time.

Strategy
To win in badminton, players need to employ a wide variety of
strokes in the right situations. These range from powerful
jumping smashes to delicate tumbling net returns. Often rallies
finish with a smash, but setting up the smash requires subtler
strokes. For example, a net shot can force the opponent to lift
the shuttlecock, which gives an opportunity to smash. If the net
shot is tight and tumbling, then the opponent's lift will not reach
the back of the court, which makes the subsequent smash
much harder to return.
Deception is also important. Expert players prepare for many
different strokes that look identical and use slicing to deceive
their opponents about the speed or direction of the stroke. If an
opponent tries to anticipate the stroke, he may move in the
wrong direction and may be unable to change his body
momentum in time to reach the shuttlecock.

Singles
Since one person needs to cover the entire court, singles
tactics are based on forcing the opponent to move as much as
possible; this means that singles strokes are normally directed
to the corners of the court. Players exploit the length of the
court by combining lifts and clears with drop shots and net
shots. Smashing tends to be less prominent in singles than in
doubles because the smasher has no partner to follow up his
effort and is thus vulnerable to a skillfully placed return.
Moreover, frequent smashing can be exhausting in singles
where the conservation of a player's energy is at a premium.
However, players with strong smashes will sometimes use the
shot to create openings, and players commonly smash weak
returns to try to end rallies.
In singles, players will often start the rally with a forehand high
serve or with a flick serve. Low serves are also used frequently,
either forehand or backhand. Drive serves are rare.
At high levels of play, singles demand extraordinary fitness.
Singles is a game of patient positional manoeuvring, unlike the
all-out aggression of doubles.[20]

Doubles
Both pairs will try to gain and maintain the attack, smashing
downwards when the opportunity arises. Whenever possible, a
pair will adopt an ideal attacking formation with one player
hitting down from the rear court, and his partner in the midcourt
intercepting all smash returns except the lift. If the rear court
attacker plays a drop shot, his partner will move into the
forecourt to threaten the net reply. If a pair cannot hit
downwards, they will use flat strokes in an attempt to gain the
attack. If a pair is forced to lift or clear the shuttlecock, then
they must defend: they will adopt a side-by-side position in the
rear midcourt, to cover the full width of their court against the
opponents' smashes. In doubles, players generally smash to
the middle ground between two players in order to take
advantage of confusion and clashes.
At high levels of play, the backhand serve has become popular
to the extent that forehand serves have become fairly rare at a
high level of play. The straight low serve is used most
frequently, in an attempt to prevent the opponents gaining the
attack immediately. Flick serves are used to prevent the
opponent from anticipating the low serve and attacking it
decisively.
At high levels of play, doubles rallies are extremely fast. Men's
doubles are the most aggressive form of badminton, with a
high proportion of powerful jump smashes and very quick reflex
exchanges. Because of this, spectator interest is sometimes
greater for men's doubles than for singles.

Mixed doubles
In mixed doubles, both pairs typically try to maintain an
attacking formation with the woman at the front and the man at
the back. This is because the male players are usually
substantially stronger, and can, therefore, produce smashes
that are more powerful. As a result, mixed doubles require
greater tactical awareness and subtler positional play. Clever
opponents will try to reverse the ideal position, by forcing the
woman towards the back or the man towards the front. In order
to protect against this danger, mixed players must be careful
and systematic in their shot selection.[21]
At high levels of play, the formations will generally be more
flexible: the top women players are capable of playing
powerfully from the back-court, and will happily do so if
required. When the opportunity arises, however, the pair will
switch back to the standard mixed attacking position, with the
woman in front and men in the back.

Organization
Governing bodies
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the internationally
recognized governing body of the sport responsible for
conduction of tournaments and approaching fair play. Five
regional confederations are associated with the BWF:
 Asia: Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC)
 Africa: Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA)
 Americas: Badminton Pan Am (North America and South
America belong to the same confederation; BPA)
 Europe: Badminton Europe (BE)
 Oceania: Badminton Oceania (BO)

Competitions
The BWF organizes several international competitions,
including the Thomas Cup, the premier men's international
team event first held in 1948–1949, and the Uber Cup, the
women's equivalent first held in 1956–1957. The competitions
now take place once every two years. More than 50 national
teams compete in qualifying tournaments within continental
confederations for a place in the finals. The final tournament
involves 12 teams, following an increase from eight teams in
2004. It was further increased to 16 teams in 2012.[22]
The Sudirman Cup, a gender-mixed international team event
held once every two years, began in 1989. Teams are divided
into seven levels based on the performance of each country. To
win the tournament, a country must perform well across all five
disciplines (men's doubles and singles, women's doubles and
singles, and mixed doubles). Like association football (soccer),
it features a promotion and relegation system at every level.
However, the system was last used in 2009 and teams
competing will now be grouped by world rankings.[23]
Badminton was a demonstration event at the 1972 and 1988
Summer Olympics. It became an official Summer Olympic sport
at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and its gold medals now
generally rate as the sport's most coveted prizes for individual
players.
In the BWF World Championships, first held in 1977, currently
only the highest ranked 64 players in the world, and a
maximum of four from each country can participate in any
category. In both the Olympic and BWF World competitions
restrictions on the number of participants from any one country
have caused some controversy because they sometimes result
in excluding elite world level players from the strongest
badminton nations. The Thomas, Uber, and Sudirman Cups,
the Olympics, and the BWF World (and World Junior
Championships), are all categorized as level one tournaments.
At the start of 2007, the BWF introduced a new tournament
structure for the highest level tournaments aside from those in
level one: the BWF Super Series. This level two tournament
series, a tour for the world's elite players, stage twelve open
tournaments around the world with 32 players (half the
previous limit). The players collect points that determine
whether they can play in Super Series Finals held at the year-
end. Among the tournaments in this series is the venerable All-
England Championships, first held in 1900, which was once
considered the unofficial world championships of the sport.[24]
Level three tournaments consist of Grand Prix Gold and Grand
Prix event. Top players can collect the world ranking points and
enable them to play in the BWF Super Series open
tournaments. These include the regional competitions in Asia
(Badminton Asia Championships) and Europe (European
Badminton Championships), which produce the world's best
players as well as the Pan America Badminton Championships.
The level four tournaments, known as International Challenge,
International Series, and Future Series, encourage participation
by junior players.[

Comparison with tennis

Badminton is frequently compared to tennis. The following is a
list of manifest differences:
 Scoring: In badminton, a match is played best 2 of 3
games, with each game played up to 21 points. In tennis a
match is played best of 3 or 5 sets, each set consisting of
6 games and each game ends when one player wins 4
points or wins two consecutive points at deuce points. If
both teams are tied at "game point", they must play until
one team achieves a two-point advantage. However, at
29–all, whoever scores the golden point will win. In tennis,
if the score is tied 6–6 in a set, a tiebreaker will be played,
which ends once a player reaches 7 points or when one
player has a two-point advantage.
 In tennis, the ball may bounce once before the point ends;
in badminton, the rally ends once the shuttlecock touches
the floor.
 In tennis, the serve is dominant to the extent that the
server is expected to win most of his service games (at
advanced level & onwards); a break of service, where the
server loses the game, is of major importance in a match.
In badminton, a server has far less an advantage and is
unlikely to score an ace (unreturnable serve).
  In tennis, the server has two chances to hit a serve into the
service box; in badminton, the server is allowed only one
attempt.
 A tennis court is approximately twice the length and width
of a badminton court.
 Tennis racquets are about four times as heavy as
badminton racquets, 10 to 12 ounces (280 to 340 grams)
versus 2 to 3 ounces (57 to 85 grams).[26][27] Tennis balls
are more than eleven times heavier than shuttlecocks, 57
grams (2.0 ounces) versus 5 grams (0.18 ounces).[28][29]
 The fastest recorded tennis stroke is Samuel Groth's 163.4
miles per hour (263 kilometres per hour) serve,[30] whereas
the fastest badminton stroke during gameplay was Lee
Chong Wei's 253 miles per hour (407 kilometres per hour)
recorded smash at the 2015 Hong Kong Open.[31]
Statistics such as the smash speed, above, prompt badminton
enthusiasts to make other comparisons that are more
contentious. For example, it is often claimed that badminton is
the fastest racquet sport.[citation needed] Although badminton holds
the record for the fastest initial speed of a racquet sports
projectile, the shuttlecock decelerates substantially faster than
other projectiles such as tennis balls. In turn, this qualification
must be qualified by consideration of the distance over which
the shuttlecock travels: a smashed shuttlecock travels a shorter
distance than a tennis ball during a serve.
While fans of badminton and tennis often claim that their sport
is the more physically demanding, such comparisons are
difficult to make objectively because of the differing demands of
the games. No formal study currently exists evaluating the
physical condition of the players or demands during gameplay.
Badminton and tennis techniques differ substantially. The
lightness of the shuttlecock and of badminton racquets allow
badminton players to make use of the wrist and fingers much
more than tennis players; in tennis, the wrist is normally held
stable, and playing with a mobile wrist may lead to injury. For
the same reasons, badminton players can generate power from
a short racquet swing: for some strokes such as net kills, an
elite player's swing may be less than 5 centimetres (2 inches).
For strokes that require more power, a longer swing will
typically be used, but the badminton racquet swing will rarely
be as long as a typical tennis swing.

See also
 Badminton portal
 Ball badminton
 Hanetsuki
 List of racquet sports
 Speed badminton

Badminton has a cosmopolitan history. The rules

of the modern game were developed in
England, but it is now Asian countries that
dominate the sport.
Badminton House
Badminton takes its name from Badminton House - home of
the Duke of Beaufort in the English county of Gloucestershire.
In 1873, the Duke is credited with bringing a version of the
game – Poona - back from India and introducing it to his
guests.

Getting organised
The sport quickly grew in popularity and in 1877 the first set of
written rules were devised by the newly formed Bath
Badminton Club. The Badminton Federation of England was
created 16 years later and in 1899 it organised the first All
England Championships.

Simple rules for beginners

Beginners don’t need to know everything about the rules. Here
are some simple guidelines to get you started.
Experienced players may wish to skip this page, and move on
to faults.

The absolute basics

The aim of badminton is to hit the shuttle with your racket so
that it passes over the net and lands inside your opponent’s
half of the court. Whenever you do this, you have won a rally;
win enough rallies, and you win the match.
Your opponent has the same goal. He will try to reach the
shuttle and send it back into your half of the court. You can also
win rallies from your opponent’s mistakes: if he hits the shuttle
into or under the net, or out of court, then you win the rally.
If you think your opponent’s shot is going to land out, then you
should let it fall to the floor. If you hit the shuttle instead, then
the rally continues.
Once the shuttle touches the ground, the rally is over. In this
respect, badminton is not like tennis or squash, where the ball
can bounce.
You must hit the shuttle once only before it goes over the net
(even in doubles). In this respect, badminton is not like
volleyball, where multiple players can touch the ball before
sending it back over the net.
Badminton is played indoors
Some of you may be familiar with playing badminton on a
beach, or in the garden. This is fine when you’re playing it as a
casual game, but it doesn’t work when you start to get
competitive.
The shuttle is blown off course by even the slightest breath of
wind. That’s why competitive badminton is always played
indoors.

Setting up a badminton court

Badminton has its own nets and posts; the net is much lower
than for volleyball. Sometimes a sports centre will set up the
court with a slack volleyball net instead, because the staff don’t
know anything about badminton. Ask for proper badminton
posts and a badminton net.
If you need to set up the court yourself, then check three
things:
 The net covers the whole width of the court.
 The net is pulled tight, not slack.
 The net is in the middle, so that both court halves are the
same size.
Often it can be hard to see the badminton court lines, because
lines for other sports are also painted on the floor. The
badminton court lines should all be in one colour, so try to
focus on that.

Singles, doubles, and mixed doubles

You can have either two or four players on a badminton court:
one player on each side, or a team of two players on each side.
One-against-one is called singles; two-against-two is called
doubles.
In doubles, either player can hit the shuttle; you do not have to
take it in turns. The only exceptions are the first two shots of
the rally; I’ll explain this when we discuss serving.
In total, there are five types of badminton:
 Men’s singles
 Women’s singles
 Men’s doubles
 Women’s doubles
 Mixed doubles (each team is a man and a woman)
Men’s doubles and women’s doubles are also called level
doubles.
These are the only types of badminton played in serious
tournaments. In casual play, however, women sometimes play
against men (e.g. two women against two men).

What are all those lines for?

When you first look at a badminton court, you could be forgiven
for thinking it has too many lines. This is mainly because the
court is marked up for both singles and doubles, which use
slightly different court sizes.
The outermost lines form the doubles court. So in a doubles
rally, the shuttle is allowed to land anywhere on the court.
The singles court is slightly narrower than the doubles court.
The singles side lines are not the outermost lines, but the next
ones in. Taken together with the outermost (doubles) side lines,
these make narrow alley shapes along the sides of the court.
These alleys are often called the tramlines or side tramlines,
since they look like tram or train tracks.
So here’s another way to think about it: the side tramlines are
in for doubles, but out for singles.
All the other lines are for serving
There are still three lines we haven’t discussed yet. These lines
mean nothing during the main rally, and only apply when you’re
serving. This is similar to how a tennis court has special lines
for serving.

Serving
Serving is how you start the rally: someone has to hit the
shuttle first! To prevent the server gaining an overwhelming
advantage, there are special restrictions placed on serving that
don’t apply during the rest of the rally.
The receiver is the person who hits the second shot in the rally.
In doubles, the receiver’s partner is not allowed to hit this shot.

How to serve
In badminton, the serve must be hit in an upwards direction,
with an underarm hitting action. You are not allowed to play a
tennis style serve.
The main rule here is that when you hit the shuttle, it must be
below your waist. To be exact, the rules define this to be a
height level with the lowest part of your ribcage. In other words,
you can serve from a bit higher than the top of your shorts, but
not much.

Service courts
The service courts are smaller box shapes inside the court.
We’ll look at what they are used for in a moment, but first let’s
get the right boxes.
Notice that the badminton court has a line down the middle,
extending from the back to near the net; this is the centre line.
At the front of the court, the centre line is met by another line;
this is the front service line. These two lines form a T shape
where they meet.
A singles service court is a box made from four lines:
 The centre line
 A singles side line (inside side line)
 The front service line
 The back line (the outside one, all the way at the back)
On your side of the net, you have two service courts: your right
service court, and your left service court. The same is true for
your opponent.
The doubles service courts are slightly different. They are
wider, because they use the outside side line (remember: the
doubles court is wider); and they are shorter, because they use
the inside back line.
That’s what the inside back line is for: doubles service, and
nothing else. It’s probably the most confusing line on a
badminton court, because that’s all it does!
So just to be clear, a doubles service court is made from these
four lines:
 The centre line
 A doubles side line (outside side line)
 The front service line
 The inside back line (not the very back line, but the next
one in)

How service courts are used

Service courts are used for three things:
 The server must stand inside a service court.
  The receiver must stand inside the diagonally opposite
service court.
 The serve must travel into the diagonally opposite service
court.
For example, suppose the server is standing in his left service
court. The receiver will be standing in his left service court,
which is also where the serve has to go.
If the serve is going to land outside the service court, then the
receiver should let it fall to the floor. If the receiver hits the
serve, then the rally continues even if the serve had been going
out.
The server and receiver must stay inside their service boxes
until the server contacts the shuttle with his racket. After that,
they can leave the boxes immediately and move anywhere on
court.
Play
GET READY TO GET STARTED
200M+
PARTICIPANTS WORLDWIDE

Badminton is a sport for all – a sport enjoyed by millions of

children, youth, adults and seniors and elderly participants
globally. It is a sport that combines eye hand coordination,
power, strength, speed and decision making skills. It’s a low
impact and non contact sport which played by boys and girls,
men and women – singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
Get involved and try the sport. Share all the health and social
benefits of badminton and become part of our global badminton
community. Here are a few ideas to think about in getting
started in the sport.
Places to start / where to play:
 Casual recreational play – investigate where your
local sports clubs and multi sports venues are and find out
where you can hire badminton courts on a casual basis.
Get together with your friends from work and try out the
sport.
 Non-competitive clubs – some badminton clubs have
more social and non competitive evenings for new-comers
to the sport.
 Club competitions – most badminton clubs have
competitions and leagues. These are often based on skill
level, experience or age groups.
  Colleges and Universities – students and members of
community colleges can take part in badminton
competitions for students.
To find out more about where to play, make contact with your
national, provincial or state badminton association.

Here are a few tips which may help you get started
playing badminton:
“Giving every child a chance to play for life” BWF’s vision 2016
- 2020

Events in Badminton
 Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles,
Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.

Scoring in Badminton
 Best of three games to 21 points.
 Every time there is a serve a point is scored.
 The side winning a rally serves in the next point.
 Players must serve diagonally and must strike the shuttle
below the waist.
 If the score reaches 20-20, players must win by two points.

Badminton
Badminton, court or lawn game played with lightweight
rackets and a shuttlecock. Historically, the shuttlecock
(also known as a “bird” or “birdie”) was a small cork
hemisphere with 16 goose feathers attached and weighing
about 0.17 ounce (5 grams). These types of shuttles may
still be used in modern play, but shuttles made from
synthetic materials are also allowed by the Badminton
World Federation. The game is named for Badminton, the
 country estate of the dukes of Beaufort in Gloucestershire,
England, where it was first played about 1873. The roots of
the sport can be traced to ancient Greece, China, and
India, and it is closely related to the old children’s game
battledore and shuttlecock. Badminton is derived directly
from poona, which was played by British army officers
stationed in India in the 1860s. The first unofficial all-
England badminton championships for men were held in
1899, and the first badminton tournament for women was
arranged the next year.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF; originally the
International Badminton Federation), the world governing body
of the sport, was formed in 1934. Badminton is also popular in
Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Denmark. The BWF’s first
world championships were held in 1977. A number of regional,
national, and zonal badminton tournaments are held in several
countries. The best-known of these is the All-England
Championships. Other well-known international tournaments
include the Thomas Cup (donated 1939) for men’s team
competition and the Uber Cup (donated 1956) for women’s
team competition.
Badminton first appeared in the Olympic Games as a
demonstration sport in 1972 and as an exhibition sport in 1988.
At the 1992 Games it became a full-medal Olympic sport, with
competition for men’s and women’s singles (one against one)
and doubles (two against two). Mixed doubles was introduced
at the 1996 Games.
Competitive badminton is usually played indoors because even
light winds affect the course of the shuttlecock. (Recreational
badminton, on the other hand, is a popular outdoor
summertime activity.) The rectangular court is 44 feet (13.4
metres) long and 17 feet (5.2 metres) wide for singles, 20 feet
(6.1 metres) wide for doubles. A net 5 feet (1.5 metres) high
stretches across the width of the court at its centre. A clear
space of 4 feet (1.3 metres) around the court is needed. Play
consists entirely of volleying—hitting the shuttlecock back and
forth across the net without letting it touch the floor or ground
within the boundaries of the court.
In international play, athletes compete in best-of-three-games
matches. A game is played to 21 points, provided that the
winner has at least a 2-point advantage. If a 2-point advantage
is never reached, the first player or team to score 30 points
wins. Points were only awarded to the serving side until 2006,
when the BWF adopted the “rally scoring” system, under which
either side can score at any time.

battledore and shuttlecock
Battledore and shuttlecock, children’s game played by two
persons using small rackets called battledores, which are made
of parchment, plastic, or rows of gut or nylon stretched across
wooden frames, and shuttlecocks, made of a base of some
light material, such as cork, with trimmed feathers fixed around
the top.…

Pullela Gopichand
Pullela Gopichand, Indian badminton player who in 2001
became the second Indian to win the prestigious All England
men’s singles badminton championship. Gopichand’s family
moved to Hyderabad when he was a young boy. He did not
start playing badminton until age 11, and he then played
recreationally,…

Thomas Cup
Thomas Cup, trophy signifying world supremacy in the sport of
badminton. The cup was donated in 1939 by Sir George
Thomas for a series of men’s international team competitions
to be managed by the International Badminton Federation
(IBF), of which Thomas was then president. The first
tournament was…
7 Most Famous Badminton Players Of India
Well, we recognize badminton with the racquets and hitting
shuttlecocks at the speed of 300 kmph. But very few are aware
of the history which began in the middle of 1800’s in British
India and was created by British Military Officers. This sport is
related to Ball Badminton originated in Tamil Nadu (India) and
Hanetsuki originated in Japan. The first rules were laid in
Poonah now called ‘Pune’ (India) in 1873 and 1877 in Karachi
(Pakistan) respectively. The International Badminton Federation
now known as Badminton World Federation was established in
1934. The first national tournament was held in India in 1934
and since then badminton has been stories of success. In spite
cricket been so popular game in India, the change was in the air
and badminton become the second most participated sport in
India. Like cricket, this game is also adored by masses for it
comprises energy, action and super thrill. Here, we’ve listed
some famous badminton players of India who are very much in
the mainstream for their incredible skills.

7. Syed Modi
He was born as Syed Mehdi but while he was playing in
Mumbai his surname was misspelled and was written as Modi
and since then he used Modi as his surname. Modi was an
eight time national badminton champion from 1980 to 1987.
Considered as one of the most famous badminton players of
India, his credentials include Gold medal in 1982 for
Commonwealth Games held in Australia. Also for Austrian
International he won Gold medals in 1983 and 1984
respectively. Not only this, the Asian Games too had his
footprints as he won Bronze medal in 1982 held in Delhi. He
was brutally shot dead at the age of 26 when he was returning
from his practise from K.D. Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow on
28th July 1988. Modi was one of the brilliant player that India
lost that day.

Nandu M. Natekar

Natekar was voted as one of the most voted sportspersons of

India in 1961. He has one of the marvellous career in
badminton and defeated his competitor with decent scores. He
has won over 100 National and International titles in his 15
years of playing. Natekar was the first Indian to win a title
abroad in 1956. He was in the last 8 in the all Indian
Championship and was an awarded the first Arjuna Award in
1961.
Also Read: Back To The Ground: 7 Unforgettable Peculiarities
Of Famous Indian Cricketers

5. Aparna Popat
She is a former Indian Badminton player who is a senior
National Champion and has a world record of nine times
between 1997 and 2006. She is a winner two commonwealth
games, one Silver medal in 1998 at Kuala Lumpur and another
Bronze medal in 2002 at Manchester. She has won Silver
medal in 1996 Silkeborg for World Junior Championships.
Aparna Popat departed the game in 2006 after giving 17 years
to this profession because of her wrist injury. She pulled herself
out of the game as the number one player in India and making
our proud.
4. Chetan Anand
Chetan Anand Buradagunta is a four time National Badminton
Champion in the year 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2010. He has
tremendous success in badminton which made him win the
most eminent Indian Arjuna Award. He has been one of the very
consistent and diligent player who brought laurels to India.

3. Saina Nehwal
Saina is a new face of badminton and ever since she joined the
ground she made only success stories. She attained the world
ranking of 2 in December 2010. The list is long of her distinctly
brilliant graph. She was the first Indian to win a Bronze medal
in badminton for Olympics in 2012 held in London. She is the
first Indian to win a Gold medal in World Junior Championships
in 2008 held in Pune as well as the first Indian to win a Super
Series Tournament on 21st June 2009. Saina is truly an iconic
and one of the most inspirational badminton player that India
has ever produced with 8 as her current world ranking in 2014
January. She also has in her bag the most prestigious awards
as Arjuna Award in 2009, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in
2010 and Padma Shri in 2010 respectively.

2. Pullela Gopichand
Gopichand is a former legendary player of badminton after
Prakash Padukone. He has won a Gold medal for All England
Championship held in Birmingham in 2001. And he has also
been a Bronze medal holder at Commonwealth Games in 1998
at Kuala Lumpur. His world ranking was 5 in 2001. Gopichand
has been awarded with India’s most designated awards as
Arjuna Award in 1999, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2001,
Padma Shri in 2005, Dronacharya Award in 2009 and Padma
Bhushan in 2014 for the outstanding contribution in badminton.

1. Prakash Padukone
Prakash is a recipient of Padam Shri in 1982. His father
persuaded him to be in this game and as we all know the rest
is history. His first international achievement was for
Commonwealth Games in 1978 at Canada where he won a
Gold Medal. Prakash was the first Indian to win a Gold medal
for the All England Championships in 1980 at London. And in
1981 he won a Gold medal for World Cup held at Kuala
Lumpur. Later in 1983 he won a Bronze medal for World
Championships held at Copenhagen. Prakash Padukone has
also won a National title for 7 years. There is a biography as
‘Touch Play’ by Dev S Sukumar which is the second biography
of any badminton player till yet.

Badminton Players
Badminton players play the racquet sport, badminton. This
sport is played by two competing individuals or two opposing
teams consisting of two players each who hit a shuttlecock back
and forth across the net using their racquets. Badminton is a
very popular sport that originated in the mid 19th century in
British India. Competitive badminton events in five categories
were first held at the Olympic Games in 1992. The popularity of
badminton stems from the fact that is it very easy to play and
can be played in small spaces. It is a much loved recreational
sport with millions over the world playing badminton in order to
get some exercise and keep fit. Being a professional badminton
player is a challenging task. The players need to possess
excellent speed and agility combined with stamina and
endurance. Striking the shuttlecock precisely also calls for
explosive strength and good hand to eye coordination.
Badminton is an extremely fast paced sport that calls for quick
reflex actions. Players also need to develop their technique and
footwork in order to perfect the game. This section provides you
information about the life and works of various famous
badminton players from all over the world.

Badminton in India
Badminton is a popular sport in India. It is the second most
played sport in India after Cricket.[1] Badminton in India is
managed by Badminton Association of India.
Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal, K. Srikanth and P.V. Sindhu are
ranked amongst top-10 in current BWF ranking. Prakash
Padukone was the first player from India to achieve world no.1
spot in the game and after him K. Srikanth made it to the top
spot as male player for second time in April 2018 [2] and Saina
Nehwal is the first female player from India to achieve World
no.1 spot in April 2015[3]. The most successful doubles player
from India is Jwala Gutta, who is the only Indian to have been
ranked in the top-10 of two categories. She peaked at no. 6
with Valiyaveetil Diju in mixed doubles and at no. 10 with
Ashwini Ponnappa in women's doubles.[4] Other successful
players include Aparna Popat, Pullela Gopichand, Syed Modi,
Chetan Anand, Parupalli Kashyap, Prannoy Kumar, Ashwini
Ponnappa, Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and N. Sikki
Reddy.
Padukone and Gopichand, both won the All England Open in
1980 and 2001 respectively making them the only Indians to
ever win the prestigious title. At the 2012 London Olympic
Games, Nehwal won the bronze medal in the individual
women's competition, the first for the country in badminton and
in the next edition in Rio 2016 P.V.Sindhu won silver in
Women's singles, 2nd medal in badminton for India. India has
won medals at the BWF World Championships as well, with
Padukone winning in 1982. The doubles pairing of Gutta and
Ponnappa became the first women to win a medal when they
won the bronze in 2011.[5] Sindhu won consecutive medals at
2013 and 2014 editions. Nehwal won a silver at 2015
Championships.[6] Saina is the only gold medalist for India in
BWF World Junior Championships, won in 2008, where as
Sindhu and Lakshya Sen are the only gold medalists in
Badminton Asia Junior Championships in their respective
category for the country, won in 2012 and 2018.

Top Ten Greatest Badminton Players of All

Time
Badminton is one of the most famous racket sports around the
world. It is an Olympic sport that was first played in 1992 at the
Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Badminton is the second most popular participatory sport in the
world, just behind soccer, and is considered as the fastest
racket sport. We recognize badminton with the racquets and
player hitting shuttlecocks at the speed of 300 kmph.
Let’s go back to the history and see some of the most famous
badminton players around the world. DSport has picked up the
top ten greatest badminton players of all time, just for you.

Lin Dan
Legendary Chinese professional badminton player Lin Dan was
nicknamed “Super Dan” by Peter Gade. He is regarded as the
greatest singles player of all time by many all over the world.
He is the first and only player to complete the “Super Grand
Slam” by the age of 28, which includes all nine major titles in
the international badminton.
He is a two-time Olympic champion, five-time World champion,
as well as a six-time All England champion. He also became
the first men’s singles player to retain the Olympic gold medal
by winning in 2008 and defending his title in 2012.

Lee Chong Wei

Malaysian Chinese professional badminton player Dato’ Lee
Chong Wei is the sixth Malaysian to win an Olympic medal. He
achieved the silver medal in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic
Games and became the first Malaysian to reach the finals in
the men’s singles event of the badminton at the Olympiad. Lee
Chong Wei was described by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib
Tun Razak as a national hero and has earned the title Dato’ for
his contribution in the Malaysian sports.
Lee Chong Wei held the World Number 1 spot for 199
consecutive weeks from 21 August 2008 to 14 June 2012. He
is the only Malaysian badminton player to hold the top position
in the world ranking more than a year.

Taufik Hidayat
Retired Indonesian badminton player Taufik Hidayat won the
Indonesian Open a record six times (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003,
2004 and 2006). Hidayat won the men’s singles competition in
badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In August 2005, he
won the men’s singles competition at the IBF World
Championships.
His major achievements includes a gold, a silver and two
bronze medal in World Championships, 3 gold, a silver and two
bronze medal in Asian Games, 2 gold, a silver and three
bronze medal in Thomas Cup, 3 gold, two silver and a bronze
medal in Asian Championships, and 2 gold medal in Southeast
Asian Games.

Rudy Hartono
Rudy Hartono is a former Indonesian badminton star who won
the men’s singles title at the prestigious All-England
Championship eight times which include a record seven
consecutive wins from 1968 to 1974. Rudy attempted just once
in BWF World Championships in his career and won the title in
the single attempt at 2nd IBF World Championships in 1980 in
Jakarta.
Besides international badminton events, he also participated
and won the men’s singles title at 1972 Munich Summer
Olympics when the badminton was included as a part of the
Olympic program for the first time.

Gao Ling
Chinese female badminton legend Gao Ling is noted for her
forecourt prowess, consistency, and anticipation. Gao is one of
the most successful doubles players in the history of women’s
badminton. Her four Olympic badminton medals are the most
of any player. She has won titles at almost every top-tier
tournament in the world. Gao has earned four gold medals
(among nine medals in total) at the BWF World
Championships, three of them in women’s doubles with Huang
Sui (2001, 2003, and 2006) and one of them in mixed doubles
with Zhang Jun (2001). She and Zhang Jun won consecutive
gold medals in mixed doubles at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics,
overcoming severe tests in both. She with her partner Huang
Sui bagged six consecutive women’s doubles titles from 2001
to 2006 at the All-England Championships.

Tony Gunawan
Indonesian-born badminton player Tony Gunawan is regarded
by many as one of the greatest male doubles players in the
international badminton’s history. He is a former Olympic gold
medalist and world champion for Indonesia and now represents
the United States.
He won the Men’s Doubles gold medal in the 2005 World
Championships with his American partner Howard Bach.
Gunawan partnered with Halim Haryanto to win the 2001 World
Championships as well as the 2001 All-England Open, and with
Candra Wijaya to win the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He was a
member of the world champion 2000 Indonesia Thomas Cup
team, winning his match in the final against China with yet
another partner, Rexy Mainaky.

Morten Frost Hansen

Retired Danish badminton star Morten Frost Hansen spent
twelve years in the top three spots in the world rankings and is
inducted in the seventh place in our list of Top 10 Greatest
Badminton Players of All Time. He was nicknamed “Mr.
Badminton” by his fans and media for winning almost every
international top level championship except the World
Badminton Championships.
He won the prestigious All England Open Badminton
Championships four times in 1982, 1984, 1986, and 1987.
Hansen won the European champion twice in 1984 and 1986
and also achieved the Nordic championship a record
consecutive seven times from 1978 to 1984 and again in 1988.
He achieved his home country’s Denmark Open consecutive
seven times from 1980 to 1986 and again in 1989.

Li Lingwei
Former Chinese female badminton player Li Lingwei is
considered by many as the greatest women’s single badminton
player of all time. A brilliant all-around player whose court
coverage and net play were particularly impressive, she
maintained an overall edge on her teammate, rival, and
sometimes doubles partner Han Aiping.
Lingwei with her doubles partner Han Aiping dominated
international women’s singles and won the IBF World
Championships twice and also achieved the IBF World doubles
title in 1985. She won 3 gold medals and two silver medals in
BWF World Championships in her career and also achieved
the World Grand Prix singles title. She was inducted into the
international Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998.

Han Aiping
Former Chinese badminton player Han Aiping ranks among the
greats of the woman’s international badminton. She was widely
regarded for her superb overhead strokes and dominated
international women’s singles in the 80s.
She won three gold medals and three silver medals in World
Championships, and also achieved the 1986 Seoul Asian
Games title. She won two gold medals in World Grand Prix and
also won the World Badminton Federation’s version of the
World Championships in 1979. Han Aiping won the Japan
Open twice, Malaysia Open thrice and Hong Kong Open four
times during her astounding career. She was named in the
Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998.

Peter Høeg Gade

Peter Høeg Gade is a retired Danish professional badminton
player. He was ranked as world number 1 from 1998 to 2001
and again recaptured the number one spot in the world
rankings on June 22, 2006, for a brief period. With his 22
Grand-Prix titles, Gade has become one of the sport’s most
successful players.
He has always combined genuine sportsmanship with a true
battling spirit, competing for every single point. He was famous
for his smooth footwork, fast attacks and the ability to handle
constant pressure, and also for his trademark shot, the Double
Action.

World Class Badminton Players

One good way to improve your badminton is to study how the
top badminton players became world class.
What was it that allowed that to achieve success and win
international tournaments? What did it take for them to become
world class?
Becoming a world class player requires full time practice.
Talent alone will not make you a world class player. If you have
the talent, you’ll learn faster. However, full-time practice is the
key to becoming world class.
The purpose of this section is to study what are the skills that
top players possess that made them champions.
Click here if you’re interested to know the current badminton
world rankings.
It’s often difficult to assess which player is the best. Even with
the BWF World Ranking, we are not able to compare the true
strengths of current players.
For example, Lee Chong Wei is considered the world number
one, but Lin Dan seems to defeat him every time they meet
each other.
If Peter Gade were at his peak, would he defeat Lee Chong
Wei now?
Click here to discuss which badminton player is the true
champion!
The following is a list of the top players today. Feel free to click
on the players’ names below to know why they are the true
greats.

Badminton Men’s Singles

Lee Chong Wei
Peter Gade
Taufik Hidayat
Lin Dan
If there are any specific world class players OF TODAY that
you think is worth mentioning, feel free to send in a short
description on what makes that player special.
Badminton Men’s Doubles

Cai Yun & Fu Hai Feng

Koo Kien Keat & Tan Boon Heong

Famous Players of All Time

Badminton is one of the fastest racquet sports. No matter how
good players are, they will have to retire around the age of 30-
35.
This is due to the decrease in stamina and speed which affects
their performance tremendously. Both these attributes are vital
for a player to maintain their titles.
Nevertheless, some of these famous badminton players have
contributed a lot to the game. Some have pioneered certain
techniques, strategies, and tactics that made badminton so
enjoyable today.
They were the ones who showed us how to improve a
badminton game and perform skills that were never done
before.
For example, the badminton jump smash was not used often
20 years ago. Same goes for the art of badminton deception.
Then not long ago, Taufik Hidayat has showed us a jumping
backhand smash.
Like any other sport, badminton too requires a lots of
dedication, practice and perseverance, making it much more
than just playing with racquets and a shuttle cock. The game
developed in British India from the earlier game of battledore
and shuttlecock.
In India, right from Prakash Padukone to Saina Nehwal, lots of
ace badminton players have brought glory for the nation at an
international platform.
Top badminton players from India at glance:

P.V Sindhu
India's latest badminton heartthrob, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu
(PV. Sindhu) added another feather to India's glory recently by
becoming the first Indian woman to win a silver medal at Rio
Olympics 2016.

Her achievements
 She is the first ever Indian women single player to win a
medal at the Badminton World Championships
  First Indian shuttler to reach the final of an Olympics
badminton event
 Youngest Indian to make a podium finish in an individual
event at the Olympics

Saina Nehwal
One of the best female shuttlers produced by India, Saina
started her badminton training under the guidance of S.M. Arif,
who was a Dronacharya awardee.
Her achievements
 Represented India three times in the Olympics, winning
bronze medal in her second appearance
 First Indian to win the World Junior Badminton
Championships
 First Indian to win a Super Series tournament, by clinching
the Indonesia Open on 21 June 2009
 Saina became the first player to win the Asian Satellite
Badminton tournament twice, once in 2005 and then again
in 2006.

Chetan Anand Buradagunta

With a career best world ranking of world no. 11, Chetan Anand
was a four time National Badminton champion in 2004, 2007,
2008 and 2010.

His achievements
 Won the Toulouse Open in France in 2004, recovering
from a back injury during the summer 2004
  In 2005, he won Irish and Scottish open badminton
tournaments in Ireland and Scotland
 In 2008, he won his first Grand Prix title at the Bitburger
Ope.

Pullela Gopichand
Currently, the chief national coach for the Indian Badminton
team, he is a former Indian badminton player. He runs the
Gopichand Badminton Academy, which is one of the best
badminton academies for budding players.

His achievements
 Won the All England Open Badminton Championships in
2001, becoming the second Indian to achieve this feat
after Prakash Padukone
 Won two gold and one silver at the Indian national games,
1998 held in Imphal
 Represented India in three Thomas Cup tournaments.

Prakash Padukone
Prakash Padukone is a former Indian badminton player from
Karnataka.

His achievements
 Won the national senior championship in 1971 at age of
16, thereby becoming the youngest player to have
achieved the feat
 In 1978, he won the singles badminton gold medal at the
Commonwealth Games.
Aparna Popat
Considered as one of the best female badminton player from
India, she was India's national champion for a record equalling
nine times when she won all the senior national championships
between 1997 and 2006.

Her achievements
 She participated in the World Junior Badminton
Championship 1996 held at Denmark and won a Silver
Medal at the tournament
 Won a Silver Medal against the Kuala Lumpur
Commonwealth Games 1998
 Became the first Indian woman to win the French Open
title.

Famous badminton academies in India

 Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy
 Gopichand Badminton Academy
 DK Academy, Delhi
 Ardor Badminton Academy (ABA)
 Surjit Singh Badminton Academy