Not So-lympics: Badminton

Now it’s time for River City Live’s Not So-lympics! Today we are trying out our own spin on Badminton, but first, let’s get some history.

Badminton takes its name from the Badminton house, home of the Duke of Beaufort, in England. The sport quickly grew in popularity, and in 1877, the first set of written rules were devised by the newly formed “Bath Badminton Club”. The Badminton Federation of England was created 16 years later.

Badminton made its debut as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. It was not until the 1992 Games in Barcelona that it was officially included on the Olympic programme.

The rules are simple. Badminton is played on a court by either two players (singles) or four players (doubles). Players use rackets to hit a shuttlecock over the net from one side to the other. The object is to score points by hitting the shuttle over the net so that it lands on the other player’s side of the court before they hit it. Points are also awarded when your opponent hits the shuttle outside of the court or fails to clear the net.