History of Badminton in India

Sports have always been a great recreational as well as fitness option for people of ages. Right from children to youngsters to elderly, indulging in sports serves as the best bet, when it comes to being healthy. In India, playing sports is an age old tradition. Though cricket predominates amongst all the games played in India, badminton manages to have a strong group of dedicated followers. Though essentially an indoor game, badminton in India is played outdoors as well, due to lack of indoor space. Started as a recreational game in clubs, badminton today is played as a serious sport in India. Regional and national level tournaments are periodically conducted to unravel new talent. Nonetheless, have you ever wondered when did it all start? Did you know that the history of the modern version of badminton has its roots in India? To get more interesting information about the origin and history of badminton, browse through the following lines.

Origin of Badminton In India
The game of badminton can be well described to be a descendent of battledore and shuttlecock, which were played in ancient Greece over 2000 years ago. One of the most popular games since the medieval era, the modern version of badminton has its roots well laid in India. British Army officers posted in Pune, India, gave badminton its present form in the 19th century and played it competitively. As the city of Pune was formerly known as Poona, the game was also became known as Poona at that time. Poona was developed from the children's game, battledore and shuttlecock.

The main aim of the game was to keep the cork stuffed with feathers - shuttlecock, in the air for as long as possible, using a paddle, called a battledore. The group, who managed to keep the shuttle in the air for a long time was declared the winner. Though this cooperative, non-competitive game was similar to its predecessor, the only difference was the addition of a net. The shuttlecock is often cited as a bird, because it is usually made out feathers. Shuttlecocks consisting of 16 real feathers are only used for competition purpose. It is said the best shuttles are those that are made from feathers taken from the left wing of a goose. However, in the present times, there are plastic ones also available

Once the British mastered the game in India, they took the equipments with them back to England during the 1870s. Three years later, in 1873, the Duke of Beaufort hosted a lawn party in his country place called Badminton. The game of Poona was played on that day and became a popular and entertaining pastime among the British elites. It was thence that the game received its present name, Badminton and came to be known as party sport or more popularly, "the Badminton game". In 1877, the first club dedicated to the sport called the Bath Badminton Club was formed. The club is credited for developing the first official set of rules for playing Badminton.