Ayrton Oneill
Badminton is a racquet sport played with a shuttlecock, with roots in ancient Greece, China, and India. The sport was first played in England around 1873 at the Badminton country estate of the 9th Duke of Beaufort, Henry Somerset, which is how the sport got its name. It is now played in many countries around the world, with over 220 million people playing it regularly. Indonesia is known for its love of badminton, and it is considered the country's unofficial national sport. The Indonesian government supports its athletes and has produced many top players, including Olympic gold medalists. The sport is accessible and popular across all social classes in Indonesia, with approximately 1 million players.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country with badminton as the national sport | Indonesia |
| Other countries with national games | Japan, England, Spain, Sri Lanka, China, Bhutan, USA, Canada, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Germany, Argentina |
| Their national games | Judo, Cricket, Bull Fighting, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Archery, Baseball, Ice Hockey, Kabaddi, Hockey, Rugby Football, Football, Pato |
| Governing body | Badminton World Federation (BWF) |
| Founding members | England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand |
| Top-performing countries | China, Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan |
| Description | A racquet/racket sport played with lightweight rackets/racquets and a shuttlecock |
| Game format | Singles (one player per side) or doubles (two players per side) |
| Scoring | Best of three games, with each game played up to 21 points or 30 points if neither player gains a 2-point advantage |
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What You'll Learn
Indonesia's national game
Indonesia has won gold medals in badminton in almost every Olympic Games since the sport was introduced in 1992. In fact, Indonesia was the first grand winner of badminton at the Olympics. The country also regularly participates in the Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, and Sudirman Cup badminton championships, and was the first nation to complete all three titles.
Badminton is considered Indonesia's most successful sport and has been described as "part of the national identity." The sport was developed in British India from the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock. It involves using racquets to hit a shuttlecock—a feathered or plastic projectile—back and forth across a net. While badminton may be played with larger teams, the most common forms are singles (one player per side) and doubles (two players per side).
Although football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Indonesia, the national football team has not achieved much success. The team won a bronze medal at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo and has appeared in the ASEAN Championship final six times, finishing as runners-up on each occasion. Indonesia has long-standing football rivalries with neighbouring countries Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Indonesia is a major sporting powerhouse in the Southeast Asian region, winning the Southeast Asian Games ten times since 1977. Sporting events in the country are organised by the Indonesian National Sport Committee (KONI). During Sukarno's reign, sports were seen as a means of uniting the Indonesian people, establishing national pride, and promoting sports within the country.
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Badminton's origins
Badminton is the national sport of Indonesia. The sport originated in British India and was derived from the earlier game of battledore and shuttlecock, which was played in ancient Greece, China, and India. The game was first played in England in Gloucestershire on the country estate of the 9th Duke of Beaufort, Henry Somerset, around 1873. The sport is named after this Badminton estate. The first rules for the game were drawn up in 1873 in Pune, a garrison town where the game was especially popular. The game was initially played with a woollen ball, which was replaced by a shuttlecock in windy or wet weather. The shuttlecock, also known as a "bird" or "birdie", was a small cork hemisphere pierced by 16 goose feathers and weighing about 0.17 ounces (5 grams).
In 1887, J.H.E. Hart of the Bath Badminton Club revised the rules of the game. Hart and Bagnel Wild revised the rules again in 1890, and these rules were published by the Badminton Association of England (BAE) in 1893. The BAE officially launched the sport at a house called "Dunbar" in Portsmouth on 13 September 1893. The BAE started the first badminton competition, the All England Open Badminton Championships, in 1899. Singles competitions were added in 1900, and an England–Ireland championship match appeared in 1904.
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.
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Asian badminton success
Badminton is a racquet sport played with racquets and a shuttlecock. The sport is popular worldwide, especially in Asia, where several countries have consistently produced world-class players. Indonesia is one such country, and it has even designated badminton as its national sport.
The Badminton Asia Championships, governed by Badminton Asia, is a tournament held annually since 1991 to crown the best badminton players in Asia. The tournament began in 1962, rotating between team and individual competitions, with the team event becoming null in 1994. The 2025 Badminton Asia Championships, hosted in Ningbo, China, was the 42nd edition of the tournament, with a total prize pool of US$500,000.
Asian nations have become dominant in international badminton competitions. China, Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan have consistently produced world-class players in recent decades. China, in particular, has been the greatest force in both men's and women's competitions recently.
Great Britain, where the rules of the modern game were codified, is not among the top powers in the sport. However, they have had significant Olympic and World success in doubles play, especially in mixed doubles. The sport demands excellent fitness, including aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and precision.
Badminton debuted as a Summer Olympic sport in 1992, with four events: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. The mixed doubles event was added four years later. The sport was also a demonstration event at the 1972 and 1988 Summer Olympics.
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Olympic badminton
Badminton is the national sport of Indonesia. The sport involves using racquets to hit a shuttlecock back and forth across a net. While badminton can be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (one player per side) and "doubles" (two players per side).
Badminton became a Summer Olympic sport in 1992, with men's singles and doubles, and women's singles and doubles. Mixed doubles was added in 1996. Olympic badminton consists of a group stage and a single-elimination tournament. Each match is played as a best-of-three format, with games played to 21 points. A player wins a game by being the first to reach 21 points or by reaching 30 points if their opponent also passes 29 points. In this case, a player must win by two points. Rally scoring is used, meaning a player can score a point whether they are serving or not.
China has dominated Olympic badminton, being the only country to achieve a shutout of the medals, which they did in 2012. Indonesia is the second most successful country in Olympic badminton, and China and Indonesia are the only countries to have won gold medals in every badminton discipline.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) governs international badminton and determines qualification for the Olympic tournament. For singles, around 40 competitors are selected, and for doubles, 16 pairs are selected. Each National Olympic Committee can send a maximum of two players or pairs if they are ranked within the top 16 in singles or top 8 in doubles.
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Badminton equipment
Badminton is the national sport of Indonesia. It is a racquet sport played with racquets and a shuttlecock. The equipment needed to play badminton is fairly simple, and the sport can be played casually or professionally.
The basic equipment required for a game of badminton is a racquet and a shuttlecock. The racquet is used to strike the shuttlecock, which is a feathered or plastic projectile. The shuttlecock's feathers create drag, causing it to decelerate rapidly, and it has a higher top speed compared to other racquet sports, making badminton the fastest racquet sport. The shuttlecock's flight gives badminton its distinctive nature, and the sport is named after this in some languages, such as German ("Federball", literally "feather-ball").
Other equipment includes a net, which can be portable, and two standards from which to suspend the net. There are also complete badminton sets available, which include storage and enough racquets for an entire class.
When selecting a badminton racquet, there are a few important factors to consider, such as weight, shaft flexibility, and balance. The speed of the shuttlecock is also important, as a shuttlecock that is too fast or too slow can ruin a player's game.
Badminton clothing and footwear are also available, which are designed with comfort and agility in mind.
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Frequently asked questions
Indonesia. While badminton is not the official national sport of Indonesia, it is considered the unofficial national sport as it is extremely popular in the country and is played by millions of Indonesians.
Indonesia's badminton team was formed in 1951, and the sport was introduced as a demonstration sport at the Olympics in 1972. The Indonesian Open was inaugurated in 1982 and is now the most popular badminton event in the country. Indonesia has won several Thomas Cups and three Uber Cups, and in 1992, the country brought home its first gold medals in badminton at the Olympics.
Badminton is a fun indoor sport that is accessible and affordable for people from all walks of life. It is a community sport that brings people together. The Indonesian government also supports the sport by handing out scholarships to promising athletes.
