BADMINTON

court or lawn game played with lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock. Historically, the shuttlecock was a small, cork hemisphere with 16 goose feathers attached and weighing about 0.17 ounce (5 grams). These types of shuttles may still be used in modern play, but shuttles made from synthetic materials are also allowed by the International Badminton Federation. The game is named for Badminton, the country estate of the dukes of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England, where it was first played about 1873. It may have started much earlier in India. In the 1860s British army officers stationed there reportedly played the game out-of-doors and called it poona. Ultimately, badminton derives from an old children's game, battledore and shuttlecock. The first unofficial all-England badminton championships for men were held in 1899, and the first badminton tournament for women was arranged the next year. The International Badminton Federation (IBF), the world governing body of the sport, was formed in 1934. Its headquarters are in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Badminton is also popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Denmark. A number of regional, national, and zonal badminton tournaments are held in several countries. The best known of these matches is the All-England Championships. Other well-known international tournaments include the Thomas Cup (donated 1939) for men's team competition and the Uber Cup (donated 1956) for women's team competition. Badminton first appeared in the Olympic Games as a demonstration sport in 1972 and as an exhibition sport in 1988. At the 1992 Games it became a full-medal Olympic sport, with competition for men's and women's singles (one against one) and doubles (two against two). Mixed doubles was introduced at the 1996 Games. Dimensions of a badminton court, badminton racket, and shuttlecock. Badminton is usually played indoors because even light winds affect the course of the shuttlecock. The rectangular court is 44 feet (13.4 metres) long and 17 feet (5.2 metres) wide for singles, 20 feet (6.1 metres) wide for doubles (see illustration). A net 5 feet (1.5 metres) high stretches across the width of the court at its centre. A clear space of 4 feet (1.30 metres) around the court is needed. Play consists entirely of volleyinghitting the shuttlecock back and forth across the net without letting it touch the floor or ground within the boundaries of the court. In international play athletes compete in best-of-three-games matches. A game is played to 11 points in women's singles and to 15 points in doubles and men's singles. A match may also consist of a single 21-point game.