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At the Yonex All England Ben Yoneyama, President of Yonex, announced to the world's media that the 421km per hour speed achieved by Malaysian Tan Boon Heong has been officially entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest smash in history.

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The TITLE belongs to BADMINTON.

Made-for-television radar guns instantly flash the speed of serves, volleys and pitches to the sporting public around the world these days, but few viewers could name the world's fastest racket sport. The title belongs to badminton.The flight of the shuttlecock, a missile of cork and goose feather that players volley across the net, has been recorded at speeds of 260 kilometres per hour. Speed, agility and lightning-fast reflexes are essential to the game. Add stamina, too - players have been known to cover more than six kilometres in a single match.

While contemporary badminton first appeared in the mid-19th century, it evolved from the game battledore and shuttlecock, which can be traced back to ancient Greece, China, Japan and India.

Especially popular in Asia and Europe today, badminton became a full competition sport at the Olympic Games in 1992.

BADMINTON – A MODERN SPORT

The true origins of Badminton are shrouded in mystery. Variations of the game have been depicted on pottery dating from three thousand years ago in China. There is also evidence of it in ancient Greece as well as in Japan, India and Thailand.

By the middle of the 19th century British Army officers, who had learned the game in India, brought it to England where it started to be played regularly at "Badminton Hall" - hence the modern name of the game - on the Duke of Beaufort's country estate in Gloucestershire. Since then, Badminton has progressed steadily all over the world. Today it is practised by some 140 million players spread over the five continents. In Great Britain alone, there are some four million players. In Denmark, it is the second largest sport after Football.
Badminton has attained full Olympic status, having been included in the Games held in Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996) Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004) as well as in Beijing (2008) and London (2012).

How to Play the Game.

The uniqueness of Badminton is the simplicity of the game itself. Anyone who can handle a racket can enjoy hitting the shuttlecock (or "shuttle" for short). There are no age or sex limitations.

The game is played indoors on a court measuring 13.4 x 6.1 metres (roughly,44 feet x 20 feet). There are five different categories: Men's and Ladies' Singles, Men's and Ladies' Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles.

All matches are played over the best of three sets of 21 points each.

Badminton in Malta.

Badminton Malta, formerly the Badminton Association of Malta, was established in 1970. It has around 200 members of different ages and coming from all walks of life.
The local Badminton season starts in September and ends around June. During this period, Badminton Malta organises several competitions such as the Team League, the National Senior and Junior Championships as well as the Individual Singles and Doubles Leagues.

Training courses are regularly organised for beginners, umpires, PE teachers as well as for aspiring coaches. These are held by Badminton Malta in collaboration with the Badminton Europe Confederation. Badminton training is held regularly during the week at St. Aloysius College in B'Kara as well as at St. Martin's College in Swatar (limits of Msida) and at the Cottonera Sports Complex. It is practiced at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology as well as at several primary / secondary schools and junior lyceums. Badminton forms part of the "Skolasport" Scheme.

Badminton Malta periodically organises international tournaments locally. In this regard, one can mention the "Malta International Youth Tournament" for teams with players aged under-18 years as well as the "Friendship Trophy" or "Tazza tal-Hbiberija", an international tournament featuring local and overseas club teams.

In the several editions held so far, these tournaments have attracted teams from teams from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Sweden, Germany, Cyprus and Italy.

A Modern Game.

Badminton is a modern sport which is steadily establishing itself on the local sports scene. It is particularly popular among youths. Though some mistakenly consider it as a game for softies, it is actually the second most physically strenuous sport after Squash.

Badminton is a non-contact sport; hence, the possibility of an injury is very remote.

Badminton can also be found on the Internet. A visit to the several links featured on this site will provide a wealth of information and data as well as the latest international competition results.

Why not try Badminton?

Badminton need not be practiced for purely competitive reasons. You do not need to become a champion in order to enjoy the game. Several people play it merely for fun, whilst meeting new friends in a positive social environment.

Regular badminton play keeps you fit and in good physical condition, whilst relieving you from the stress generated by your studies or work.

If you are interested in this sport, kindly contact Badminton Malta
* by e-mail -- jfattard@onvol.net
* by post -- PO Box 599, Valletta VLT 1000
* by telephone -- (+356) 21312697 or (+356) 99427172

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