Badminton is a widely played sport throughout the world. It is a game that gets played with a racquet and a shuttlecock that is hit to and fro across the net.
The most distinctive feature of this sport is the flight of this shuttlecock every time a player hits it.
This sport is widely played throughout the world, thanks to its amazing health benefits.
History of Badminton
Badminton was played in England as Battledore and shuttlecock with many players. Later in the 1870’s, it became a favorite pastime among the British officers. Since this was more frequently the case with the officers in Pune, the game was also popularly known as Poona. Soon a Badminton Association was formed as an official body in England formalizing the rules of the game and by 1899 Open Championships for Badminton were announced in different categories.
World Badminton Federation was formed in 1934 with nine founding members obviously including England.
Equipment for Badminton
The Equipment for the game includes Badminton racquets which are quite light. They have an oblongish hitting mesh made out of steel body usually, with a net made out of the plastic fiber. The rod for the mesh ends in a rubber coated grip for easy holding. The shuttlecock is a small feathered object a small heavy ball with feathers arranged in a circle on one side. As against a ball, the resistance that a shuttlecock presents is very different from that of a ball, making badminton an altogether different game.
The court is divided into two by a net that reaches the ground. Badminton shoes are also lightweight for swift movement.
Objective and some rules
The objective of the game is to hit the shuttlecock with the racquet into the opponent’s court to touch the floor. The opponent uses her racquet to not just stop the shuttlecock from touching the floor but also hitting it right back. A typical match is arranged in sets.
There are two individual opponents or two pairs on each side. SO the matches are usually either men’s single or women’s single or mixed double.
Advantages of Playing Badminton
Just like any other game, playing badminton is beneficial to us.
- Physical fitness
- Develops athleticism
- Increased muscle tone
- Psychological benefits such as reducing anxiety and stress
- Enhancing social stress as it is a team game that promotes social interaction and team spirit.
- Good for overall health as it eliminates the risks of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure
- Muscle strength and flexibility
- Mobility
- Weight loss
Conclusion
Playing badminton is key to strengthening your core muscles and improve your overall reflexes. Therefore, you must start incorporating a daily game or two in your schedule.