The News Courier’s continued look at the unique sporting events featured at the 2012 London Olympics focuses on badminton today.
History: British military officers in the Indian town of Poona added a net to the ancient game of battledore during the 19th century and named this new game after the town. It was eventually brought back home where it became known as badminton in 1873. The sport made its full Olympic debut at Barcelona 1992.
Basic rules: Players hit a shuttlecock over the net and into their opponents’ half. The goal is to score points by playing the shuttlecock so that it cannot be returned over the net within the boundary lines. Matches are best-of-three games in which the first player to 21 points wins.
Keys to success: Badminton is all about teamwork. Players must work in harmony, have quick reactions and like most Olympic sports, be incredibly fit.
Format: There are five medal events, each of which begins with a preliminary group stage. Group winners advance to the knockout stage where medals are awarded for men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
The Favorite: Asian countries dominate the event. China, Indonesia and Korea have won 23 of the 24 gold medals awarded since the sport’s first appearance at the games.
When: Saturday, July 28 – Sunday, Aug. 5.
Weird fact: The shuttlecock can travel at speeds in excess of 248.5 miles per hour. The best shuttlecocks are said to be made from a goose’s left-wing feathers.
Source from http://enewscourier.com