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Poona, wood shots and champagne: welcome to the world of badminton! In our "24 Sports Chrono" series, we tell you everything you need to know about Olympic and Paralympic Games disciplines. On your marks, get set! Go!
21 points wins a game
There are five badminton events at the Olympic Games: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and, since the Atlanta 1996 Games, mixed doubles. The same rules apply to each event: a three-game match held on a 6.10 by 13.40 meter court.
A game is played to 21 points. The first side to win two wins. In the event of a tie at the end of a game, or if there is only a one-point difference, play continues until one side takes a two point avantage. If the both sides are still tied at 29 all, the 30th is decisive.
What it takes to be a champion: good reflexes, stamina and (very) supple wrists.
A helping hand from fate
What if we told you that badminton owes its existence to champagne? In 1873, English soldiers returning from India came across poona and wanted to play it upon their return to England. With no ball to hand, they used what they had: a cork. They attached feathers to it to improve its flight and set about playing.
They then decided to create official rules and name their sport after the place where these rules were written: the English village of Badminton, near Bristol. It would be another thirty-five years (1908) before the first competition was held in Dieppe (Seine-Maritime), a popular holiday resort for wealthy Englishmen.
At first glance, Badminton seems like quite a newish sport. Yet the sport has many ancestors. In Japan, for example, people have been playing hanetsuki for thousands of years, in which a shuttlecock is passed back and forth between players using rectangular wooden rackets.
During the Middle Ages, battledore and shuttlecock became popular in England. It's quite similar to hanetsuki. This pastime was mainly played by young girls from wealthy families until 1873, as illustrated by this early 19th century engraving in the Musée Carnavalet.
Engraving by Jean-François Bosio from the "Le Bon Genre" series (1802)
Credit
Musée Carnavalet
Liking the 24 Sports Chrono series?
The "24 Sports Chrono" is a weekly feature published during the lead up to the Games. Missed the previous episode? Catch up here with diving.
You can also discover all the other sports in our dedicated large format.
You can also discover all the other sports in our dedicated large format.
Who is representing France?
Women:
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Xuefei Qi (women's singles)
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Margot Lambert (women's doubles) - eliminated in the group stage.
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Anne Tran (women's doubles) - eliminated in the group stage.
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Delphine Delrue (mixed doubles) - eliminated in the group stage.
Men:
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Toma Junior Popov (men's singles and doubles) - eliminated in doubles.
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Christo Popov (men's doubles) - eliminated.
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Thom Gicquel (mixed doubles) – eliminated in the group stage.
When and where?
Events will take place from July 27th to August 5 that the brand-new Arena Porte de la Chapelle.
Do you speak badminton?
The vocabulary of "bad" is varied and, at times, rather curious. Let's take a look.
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Net shot (tumbling/spinning shot): it is one of the most useful shots in badminton. It consists of a delicate short hit shot that falls right behind the net. These shots can also be disguised with spin or racket position.
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Uber Cup: The Uber Cup is the name of the Women's World championship competition and no, it's not got anything to do with the american ride-hailing service. The cup is named after Betty Uber, a badminton player who came up with the idea of the competition. The men's equivalent is called the Thomas Cup, after Sir Georges Alan Thomas.
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Wood shot: when a player hits the shuttlecock with the frame of the racket.
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Why take up badminton?
Because it's a mixed sport.
It's not a very difficult sport to get to grips with, and we've all played it at least once in primary, secondary or high school PE.
It's also one of the few indoor sports that can also be played outdoors. The name of the outdoor version is air badminton.
Where to play in Paris?
Paris has a lot of Badminton clubs and associations. We've made a small selection.
We want to hear from you!
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