By News18
Badminton has undergone a remarkable transformation over the decades from the design of rackets and shuttlecocks to the lightning-fast pace and refined skill level of today’s game. While its roots are believed to stretch back over 2,000 years, the modern version of badminton is widely credited to the Duke of Beaufort, who introduced it in 1873 at his estate in Gloucestershire, England.
But did you know the sport traces its modern origins to Pune, Maharashtra?
In the 1870s, British officers stationed at the ammunition factory in Khadki began playing a version of the ancient game of Battledore. To spice things up, they added a net, thus creating what came to be known as “Poona.” By around 1867, rudimentary rules were established for this new version of the game. When the British returned to England between 1870 and 1873, they carried Poona with them. Under the patronage of the Duke of Beaufort, the game was formalised and renamed “badminton” after his estate.
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However, there are no official documents to prove that badminton was first played in Pune. In 2016, the then-secretary of the Pune District Metropolitan Badminton Association, Uday Sane, said, “It’s our responsibility to build a monument or a museum near the birthplace of the game. At least we should have a chowk named Badminton Chowk, with a beautiful sculpture of a badminton shuttle to indicate that the game originated here. We have approached several officers, but still, it is unfruitful.”
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Growth Of Badminton
Originally called Poona or Battledore rather than badminton, the use of the shuttlecock has remained constant over the years. Like most of the racket sports, badminton was also played by the upper class than as an athletic game we see today.
It gained worldwide popularity only after its Olympic debut in Barcelona in 1992. The sport’s first major tournament came with the Thomas Cup in 1948, leading to many more world tournaments. After so many years, badminton is no longer a game played by the elite society. Besides changes in the playing style, rules have also been added to equipment and clothing, and there has been a rise in some of the biggest badminton stars.
Likewise, shuttlecocks have also gone through a major transformation process. Beginning in 2021, the natural feather shuttlecocks were replaced by synthetic ones in all the tournaments, as sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation.