Why Play Badminton?

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The only real answer to this question is to be found by playing the game and discovering for oneself.  If, however, the questioner requires persuasion then one possible answer that it is both enjoyable and interesting to play.  There are a number of reasons for this.

• It is an easy game to learn as the design of the shuttlecock causes it to slow down in the air and enables the players to rally successfully.  As a result it is possible to play the game properly from the start and gain immediate satisfaction from doing so.
• It is a social game as it can be played by people of all ages.
• It is a recreational game providing a large range of physical movement which exercises the body and gives the players the feeling of fitness and well being so essential for good health.  There is the opportunity to perform sprints, twists and turns, bends and stretches, jumps and landings, and quick changes of directions as well as using a large range of strokes to hit the shuttlecock with more or less power.  The variety of movement appeals to many players.
• It is a challenging game as it tests the players’ physical skill, intelligence and imagination, character and fitness in an attempt to beat the opponents.  Herein lies more interest and enjoyment for enthusiastic games' players for the task of trying to outwit the opposition can raise challenges which must be overcome in the game.
• It is an excellent spectator sport which nowadays receives good TV coverage and provides the opportunity for more people to see the top players in action.  The more people know about the game, the more they will understand and appreciate its fascination and the more they will come to enjoy it.
• It is an enjoyable game within sport.  Even though the point of any competitive game is to try to win, the reason the majority of us participate in sport is for our enjoyment, for fun, something for which badminton offers lots of scope.  Players may play the game seriously and try their best to win, otherwise it would hardly be worth playing, but the result is not the most important issue.  What matters most is that players have a good challenging game and come off court feeling better for playing it.
• It is a very popular game that is well organised and administered to give players every opportunity to play and enjoy the game at to what ever level they aspire.

As Mr George Thomas, the first President of the International Badminton Federation, once said: “The art of badminton is to deceive” appropriately describe the skill that is required to play the game.
The game of badminton has been included in the Olympic and the Commonwealth Games, as well as World Grand  Prix circuits and World Championships.  Other international competitions are the Thomas Cup for men  and the Uber Cup for ladies which are attended by world ranking players.
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