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History  |  The equipment  |  Rules

History of the badminton

One day of 1873, of the returned English officers of the Indies are joined together in the castle of the Duke of Beaufort. The champagne supporting the common memories, they come from there to evoke the Indian play of the "Poona" which was practised with a racket and a light ball. To make pass this meal by too sprinkled, they are put at the head to play there. Not having a ball under the hand, they use a champagne stopper in which they fix some feathers. Once disillusioned, amused and allured by their lucky find, they make known this play under the name of castle where it was born: Badminton.

And four years after this memorable drinking bout, they enact the first rules of the game, thus as for tennis and well from another sports, these characters will adapt the paternity of a play which they did not invent.

Because there are more than 2000 years the Chinese men and especially the Chinese girls played already at the shuttlecock. Japanese and incas too. In Europe at the 17th century the Christine queen of Sweden liked this play passionately, it caused a scandal by taking for partner the Bochart scientist who had to leave coat and wig to push the shuttlecock.

In France, one finds trace of this play in engravings of the end of the 17th century and in a table of Chardin going back to 1741. Set of course during years, it became little by little very popular, with a different name according to provinces ; "Grièche" in Anjou bus furnished with the feathers of the Shrike, "Picandeau" in the Lyonese because the feathers were alternate black and white, generally "Coquantin" because the shuttlecock was furnished with feather of cock.

Still a century ago, the badminton passed for a play of beach or a sport of "young girl". Misfortune with the men which practised it, their virility was to be quite failing. One will have needed that France turns to the foreigner, in particular the countries of Asia and Northern Europe where the Badminton is almost the national sport, so that it left his cocoon and knows on our premises an exponential growth. In 10 years the number of players increased by 584%.

The International Badminton Federation (I.B.F.) is founded in 1934 by nine country of which France, currently they are more than 100 country which is affiliated with this federation, which led the Olympic committee has to register the badminton with the Olympic Games since 1992 in Barcelona, after having been in demonstration in Seoul in 1988.

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Finally the badminton cumulates as many ludic or economic assets. Accessible on all the levels because of its speed of training of the elementary gestures, to all the ages and all the sexes, it requires little place, little money, little material. Added to that, it develops at his practise a panoply of qualities ; the athletic address, promptness, capacities, tactical intelligence, mental solidity.

Despite everything these assets and the significant number of practise, the badminton remains a marginal sport in France, if one compares it with football or Rugby. This reputation and the allocated subsidies to the federation, the poles of formations are too very few (2 Frances poles and 6 poles hopes) and consequently we have only very few athletes to present at the high level (50 sportsmen are on the lists of "High Level").
To illustrate the facts, it is enough to count the number of French athletes present at the last OG to Athens: 1, the young person Hongyan pi!! Player who progresses unceasingly and connects the good results ; she arrived for the first time, during November 2004, number 3 at the world classification. Can be the beginning of a beautiful adventure for France has this level...

Competitions

The principal competitions are: the world men championship by teams (The "Thomas cup", created in 1948-1949), the world women championship by teams, created in 1977, which is held every two years, the All-England championship, created in 1899 and opened with all the countries, and the Europe championship which is held every two years since 1968.

The badminton was a demonstration sport in the Olympic Games of 1972 and in 1988 then became Olympic discipline with whole share in 1992.