Do you know which is the fastest sport in the world? And yes, it is badminton because if we compare the other fastest-moving objects in sports, then the response we get is a shuttlecock.
And do you know how fast a shuttle can travel? I bet you will be shocked after knowing its speed. As professionals, the average speed of a birdie is over 200 mph, making badminton the fastest sport out there.
Not only this, but this sport has many other fascinating facts that will surely amaze you. And here in this post, I am going to introduce you to some of these amazing facts.
So let’s dive in:
Top 10 Facts
Let’s begin with:
1. Badminton is the second most popular sport in the world
You all might be well aware that football is the world’s most popular and commonly played sport. But do you know which is the second most popular sport in the world?
Yes, you guessed it correctly, that’s badminton. It is played regularly by approximately 339 million people once a week around the world.
This racket sport proved its popularity when first introduced in the Olympics in 1992, and to the record, it is estimated that approximately 1.1 billion people watched the badminton competition on television.
Today it has become one of the most popular sports in Asia, with many players gracing the game of the continent.
2. The roots of badminton originated in India
There is various prescription regarding badminton history and its origin, as it was invented about two thousand years ago. So its exact origin remains dubious, but some research and articles state that the roots of this sport can be traced to ancient India, China, and Greece.
It originated from the ancient game “Battledore and Shuttlecock,” played by children in India, where two or more players try to hit the shuttlecock with the help of a small racket and keep it in the air.
The game later developed in India among British expatriates and was very popular in the 1870s. The sport was known as Poona or Poonah, named after the garrison town of Poona and the first informal set of badminton rules for the game was formed in India by the British colonists in 1867.
Later in 1887, the duke of Beaufort took this sport to England from India, where it got its name after the Duke of Beaufort’s House in Gloucestershire and was played there for the first time.
3. The shortest and longest badminton match
This fact will amaze you when you know that the shortest match in history was played in Hong Kong in 1996, in Uber Cup, which lasted for just 6 minutes, when an England player, Julia Mann, was defeated by a South Korean player Ra-Kyung-min.
On the other hand, the longest match in history was recorded during the semi-final at the 2016 Asian Championships. The match lasted for approx (161 minutes), 2 hours and 41 minutes.
4. Shuttlecocks are made from the left wing of the goose feathers
Usually, 16 feathers embedded around the shuttle’s cork or rubber base are made from the left wing of a goose that flies up to 300 miles per hour.
The reason and main cause behind it is aerodynamics. Paisan Rangsikitpho, the deputy president of the Badminton World Federation, states that a goose’s left and right wings are curved differently, where the left-wing spins clockwise and the right-wing spins counterclockwise, and for a stable flight, shuttlecocks should have feathers that spin clockwise.
A shuttlecock trajectory is also affected by the number of feathers indulged in it, which is why the number has remained the same for years.
The deputy president of BWF adds to his statement that: The geese are bound for butcher shops or being plucked for down pillows and jackets. If the feathers of their left wings weren’t used for shuttlecocks, they’d be used for something else or just thrown away.”
5. Racket strings are made from animal gut
During the 1500s, when badminton was brought to Europe by the Spanish conquerors, where Aztecs (The Mesoamerican culture that thrived in central Mexico) used to play this sport, the racket strings were made up of animal gut (a thin, tough cord made from the intestines of animals, usually sheep, cats, or pigs).
The synthetic fibre was later introduced into the market when DuPont (an American company) developed nylon to compensate for the rubber shortage during World War II.
Later in 1939, an American company, Ashaway Line and Twine Mfg. Co, founded by Captain Lester Crandall, was the first to deliver the first commercial nylon product as a fishing line when DuPont was looking for a use for its new filament.
Ashaway, in 1949 started making badminton strings and introduced the first multifilament nylon strings, known as Multi-Ply and Pro-Fected. These synthetic strings were more durable and strong than those made from animal guts.
6. Badminton is a lot more intense sport than tennis
Usually, tennis matches last longer than badminton matches, but one badminton match is much more intense than a tennis match.
The match intensity, no of rallies, no. of shots, shots per rally, and distance covered are statistically higher in badminton.
7. Badminton was initially played with the feet
The roots of badminton also originated from China as people there in the 5th century used to play a sport called Ti Zian Ji, which was a precursor of badminton and was initially played with players’ feet.
Players used their feet instead of rackets to hit the shuttlecock, which was slightly different from a normal shuttlecock. And the interesting part is that you can still see people playing this sport in some parts of China.
8. The Asian domination of the sport
Badminton was officially introduced in the Olympics in 1992; since then, Asian players have won 93 Olympic medals out of 103. And Asian countries like China and Indonesia are the top badminton countries worldwide, winning 70% of the BWF events and championships.
Coming to the Tomas cup, the Men’s world team Championship, then to date, it has been won by only three Asian countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, and China.
Whereas Uber Cup, the women’s world team championship, is commonly won by Asian countries, including China, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea. And the USA is the only non-Asian country to win Uber Cup in 1957, 1960, and 1963.
9. A badminton shuttlecock holds 16 feathers
Usually, shuttlecocks used in competitive matches and tournaments have 16 feathers. Whereas some shuttles also hold 14 feathers, such shuttles are used in friendly matches or for practising.
The basic reason behind a shuttlecock holding 16 feathers is that it determines which several feathers create the best drag, spin, and flight. And indulging 16 feathers gives you the best results while playing.
10. An average man burns about 300-400 calories each hour of playing badminton
Playing this sport requires a lot of energy, flexibility, and strength, exhausting and using every muscle in the body. A player burns around 300-400 calories, even if he plays for approx one hour, which is the highest among all other sports.
And if you are overweight and want to lose extra body fat, you should play this sport daily, as badminton helps you to remain fit and healthy.
Final Words
So these were some of the top amazing facts about badminton, and I hope you enjoyed reading some of these amazing facts about one of the fastest sports in the world.
And in case you face any problems regarding this post, then feel free to ask us or pin it up in the comment section below.