Badminton 

cctv.com 07-17-2004 12:44

Badminton is a sport that can be played by men and women of all skill levels and all ages. But to compete at the highest levels successfully, athletes must develop special skills such as technique, stamina, strength, and flexibility.

The sport has spread around the world and is especially popular in Asia where spectators can exceed 15,000 in important contests.

In Greece, Badminton is becoming increasingly popular. In 1995, when it was formally recognised by the General Secretariat of Sport, there were only 90 officially registered players. Today, there are over 3,500.

During the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games, Badminton competition is expected to attract a lot of attention. Countries with long tradition in the sport will send their best athletes, after a twelve-month selection process.

Description

Badminton is played between two or four athletes. Unique to this Olympic sport is the mixed doubles event, in which a man and a woman athlete compete on the same pair.

To score a point, Badminton players have to hit the shuttlecock with their rackets so that it lands on the opponent鈥檚 court 鈥then a point is scored. The winner is the athlete or pair to win two games of 15 points each. In women鈥檚 singles, games end at 11 points.

ATHENS 2004 Badminton

During the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games, Badminton competitions will be staged in the Goudi Olympic Hall, which has a seating capacity of 5,000. Competition events will take place within the span of eight days (August 14-21). The finals will be conducted during the last four days of competition.

Olympic Badminton consists of five events:

1. Men鈥檚 singles

2. Women鈥檚 singles

3. Men鈥檚 doubles

4. Women鈥檚 doubles

5. Mixed doubles

History

Early forms of Badminton were played in China, India and Greece. However, it was in 1860, in England, that Badminton started developing into the form it has today. It was first practised on the premises of the Duke of Beaufort in the county of Gloucestershire. Badminton is named after the Duke鈥檚 residence, known as the 鈥淏adminton House鈥

The International Badminton Federation was founded in 1934 by 9 National Federations (Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales). Today, the IBF numbers 147 country-members.

Badminton was added to the Olympic schedule in the 1992 Barcelona Games. Since then, its popularity has grown, especially in Asian countries such as China, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as Great Britain and Scandinavia.

In Greece, Badminton first appeared in the 1980s. It was practised by students at the Democritus University in Thrace. In 1992, the Hellenic Badminton Federation was founded by 6 member clubs. Today, more than 40 clubs from all around the country encompassing a total of 3,500 men and women athletes are actively involved with Badminton.

Source:The official website of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Editor:Wang  Source: