The History of Badminton

The origin of Badminton

750 BCE

The first version of badminton was called battledore and shuttlecock. This game was played in ancient Greece, China, and India.

Where Badminton got its name and net

1873

In the 1860's British military officers stationed at India discovered the game known as "battledore and shuttlecock". These officers were introduced to a game called Poona after the Poona lake where the game was named after and played at. Later that year in 1873 the 9th Duke of Beaufort popularized the sport at his estate, Badminton House, giving the sport its iconic name.

When Poona was introduced to England

1873

During this year the game was originally called Poona until it was introduced to England where its name would be changed because of a certain Duke.

Badminton's first ever tournament

1899

Badminton's first ever tournament was the All England Open Badminton Championships.

The creation of the Badminton Federation

Jul 5, 1930

In the year of 1934 the Badminton World Federation was established

The evolution of the Badminton racket

1970

In the 1960's the modern version of the Badminton racket was invented. From the original wooden paddle to the now aluminum, steel, and plastic lightweight materials. Then in the 1980's the design was revolutionized with carbon fiber.

Badminton's introduction into the Olympics

1992

Badminton was finally introduced into the Olympics in the Barcelona 1992.