Badminton's roots go back more than two thousand years. The game we play today took shape in 19th-century England and is named after the country house where it was played.
- First similar game (China)
- 5th c. BC
- International federation
- 1934
- Olympic sport
- 1992
Badminton's journey
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5th c. BC
Ti Jian Zi
The Chinese played Ti Jian Zi, considered an ancestor of badminton, in which a feathered shuttle was kept in the air with the feet.
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1850s
"Poona" in India
A game very similar to badminton was played in India in the mid-19th century under the name poona.
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1860s
Arrival in England
British officers who saw the game in India brought it home.
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1873
Badminton House
The Duke of Beaufort's daughters played it at Badminton House, and the sport takes its name from the house.
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1934
International Badminton Federation
With the founding of the federation, badminton began to spread around the world. Since 2006 it has been called the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
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1972
Munich: demonstration sport
Badminton first appeared at the Olympics as a demonstration sport and was tried again in Seoul in 1988.
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1992
Barcelona: Olympic sport
It became a full Olympic sport with medals in singles and doubles. Mixed doubles was added in Atlanta in 1996.
Leading nations
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Asia
Asian countries, led by China and Indonesia, are among the most successful badminton nations.
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Europe
Besides the Asian countries, Denmark and England are among the strongest nations.