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November 30, 2021 5 min read

When most individuals think about Badminton, they recall playing it in their backyard during the summer. One of the greatest features of Badminton is that people may pick up and play it whenever they want. They believe that's all there is to Badminton. They never comprehended how good a professional and exciting fast-paced game can be. They usually ask the same thing.

Is badminton a real sport? Badminton is a genuine professional sport. It's the world's fastest racquet game, with more than 300 million players each year. Since 1992, it has been an Olympic discipline. It necessitates quick reactions and strong athletic ability, making it a fast-paced sports activity.

Of course, that simple claim isn't all there is to Badminton. Here are five reasons why it's a genuine sport in its own right.

Badminton is an Olympic sport

The Olympics is, by most people, regarded as the greatest peak of sports. Athletes, players, and fans from all over the world look forward to the Olympics with bated breath to see who can compete at their best. Badminton is one of the 33 Olympic events in 2020 Tokyo. It was an Olympic sport since 1992.

If the Olympics is regarded as the pinnacle of athletic performance, then every sports tournament that takes place must be considered a genuine sport. Sports that demand exceptional skill, athleticism, and strategic decision-making to mention a few require great mental fortitude.

Badminton has had a long history of popularity and has witnessed some incredible events throughout its many Olympic appearances. Lin Dan vs Lee Chong Wei is one of Badminton's most famous rivalries, which began at the Olympics. In 2008, 2012, and 2016, fans were treated to three spectacular matches between Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei, which have been characterized as three of the best mens singles matches in history.

The Indonesia national team won its first-ever Olympic gold medal in 2016, and it was also gold. After winning the All England and World Championships the year before, Carolina Marin took home the gold in Rio. Taufik Hidayat's emotional victory for Indonesia at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens is unforgettable. Badminton is Indonesia's national sport, so it holds a lot of significance to both players and the country. That was evident in Taufik's remarks following his win on court in Athens.

More than 300 million people play Badminton regularly

Second, badminton is one of the world's most popular sports. It has more than 300 million participants each year. It's enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. I've seen babies as young as three years old to seniors aged 75 and above play and have a blast doing so.

Badminton is a very inclusive sport, with modified rules for persons in wheelchairs and other impairments. This, combined with the game's simple pick-up and play nature, makes it accessible to everyone. The activity is growing bigger every year. People all around the world are rediscovering the pleasure and challenge of playing Badminton.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) continues to grow the sport by promoting the official outdoor version called AirBadminton. AirBadminton was created to address the difficulties of playing Badminton outside and the scarcity of infrastructure and amenities for indoor Badminton in certain regions of the world. We've put up a comprehensive guide on what AirBadminton is, how to play it, where and how to set up a court, what triples are, and more. To read the complete article, click here.

Easy to learn, difficult to master

Badminton is a pick up and play sport that's wonderful for families. The shuttlecock is a lightweight projectile, so it's simple for novices to learn how to hit. Because of the high net, the shuttlecock must nearly constantly fly upward, giving players time to reach the shuttle and strike. With consistent play without much assistance, players are able to confidently hit balls.

The learning curve after the beginner level gets very steep. Once players have developed hand-eye coordination and can start hitting, they must learn the basics. Understanding various grips, such as forehand, backhand, neutral, and bevel grip to name a few. Mastering footwork that incorporates chasséing, running, jumping, and lunging in different combinations to cover the court efficiently. Anyone has ever seen Lee Chong Wei's fantastic footwork. He combines beautiful footwork with incredible speed and makes it appear simple.

Badminton offers a huge selection of shots, each with its own unique set of requirements. It takes time and dedication to master them all. Here's a short list of shots that players should study.

  • Block shot
  • Defensive lift
  • Drive
  • Flick
  • Jump smash
  • Dropshot
  • Clear
  • Net shot
  • The serve (backhand and forehand, high and low serve)

All of these pictures have variant forms that employ slicing (straight and reverse), hitting with a full swing, or a short flick in a defensive or offensive context. The possibilities are endless. Players spend their lives honing their strengths while trying to minimize their flaws.

Badminton Essentials

It’s a fast, furious fat burning sport

Badminton is the world's fastest racquet sport, fact. At the highest level, players can hit smashes that travel at over 350km per hour! In test conditions, the quickest smash ever recorded was 493 kilometers per hour and a competitive-play smash clocked in at 426 kilometers per hour.

The fastest serve in Tennis was clocked at 263 kilometers per hour. That's a significant difference in speed. Golf balls, 339kmph, Jai Alai balls, 302kmph, and Squash balls, 281kmph are the challengers for the title of quickest projectile after the shuttlecock.

Badminton is a fast-paced, powerful sport. Players must be both quick and strong at the same time. During the rallies, players must move quickly around the court because they must attack violently. This makes Badminton one of the greatest high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts available. There's a lot of hard work put in during the rally with only minor breaks between rounds. It's ideal for people wanting to lose weight.

Players must execute extremely difficult shots with pinpoint accuracy at breakneck speed. Because badminton games tend to end quickly, players will sprint around the court for extended periods of time during rallies. The combination of continuous movement with strenuous rallies increases the total calorie expenditure significantly compared to other sports like Tennis or Squash (similar speed but no continuous running).

So is it a real sport? You tell me.

Badminton Beginner Racket
We'd love to hear your opinions, comments, tips and tricks so please feel free to comment below. If you would like us to write about something in particular, please let us know!

Jeffrey Tho
Jeffrey Tho

Jeff is an ex-international badminton player who represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games (twice as a player & once as a coach), World Championships, All England Championships and multiple Thomas and Sudirman Cups. He was the Australian National Coach, Senior State Head Coach and is the co-founder of Volant badminton & The Badminton Podcast. Jeff is extremely passionate about building the worldwide badminton community & showing the world how incredible our sport really is.


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