Saturday, 30 March 2013

Badminton Association of India

History

As we know that there are many racket sports in the world and like many other racket sports, badminton also has a long history! Badminton gets its name from Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England - the home of the Duke of Beaufort, where the sport was played in the last century. Before Badminton House, there was a game called poona (a game which was played by British army officers stationed in India). Before poona, there was jeu de volant played on the European Continent, before that, battledore and shuttlecock, and, before that, Ti Jian Zi - as you can see, it's not easy tracking the lineage of the sport we now call badminton! The origins of badminton dates back at least two thousand years, a surprisingly long history for one of the Olympics' newest sports!

Worldwide popularity for the sport surged only after badminton's Olympic debut at Barcelona in 1992. The first major tournament was the Thomas Cup (world men's team championships) in 1948. There are now many world tournaments. After all these years, badminton is not so different from its ancient predecessors, nor from the game played by elite society in the mid-1800s, except for the speed of the game. Here's an interesting fact for you - the fastest smash recorded by Great Britain's Simon Archer, was clocked at over 160 mph (260 km/hr)!

BAI Mission

"To regulate, promote, manage and develop the sport of 'Badminton' in the Country transperently."

"To create comprehensively established progressive pathway for Badminton Players, Coaches and other Technical persons of the Country.".

"To seek support of Govt. of India, Sport Authorities, Executive Council Members, all Member Associations, Indian and International Media and Sponsors for the continuous promotion and growth of Badminton India."

"To effectively Co-ordinate with Badminton Asia Confedration (BAC), Badminton World Federation (BWF), Indian Olympic Association and all other National & International Sports Organisations for the progess of the Sport of Badminton."

BAI Vision

“To provide leadership for the sport of ‘Badminton’ by focusing on common ‘Mission’ of all Stake holders and to set-up short, medium and long-term ‘Goals’ in terms of the progress in all core activities and functional areas of Badminton in order to ensure the talent and standard of Badminton in the Country continues to grow with the sport becoming increasingly popular world wide and the ‘Badminton India’ remains the nursery of Champions”.

Aims & Objects

To encourage, standardise, control, promote and develop the game of Badminton in India especially by organising Coaching, Training Camps, Tournaments and Exhibition Matches amongst Schools, Colleges, Universities and States through and by affiliated Organisations on an amateur basis for adults, juniors and sub-juniors.

To maintain general control of Badminton in India particularly with reference to the Rules and Regulations for the conduct of the Tournaments.

To act as ‘Accredited Representative’ of all its affiliated Organisations in all matters of common interest as National Body.

To co-ordinate Inter-State activities in respect of ‘Badminton’ in all ways including holding of Inter-State Tournaments, organising or recognising Championship Tournaments / Matches.

To organise World Championships of ‘Badminton’ in India for enhancing overall status of badminton in the Country and to set path for ‘Olympic Qualification’ by the players.

To facilitate ‘International Exposure’ to junior players to create comprehensively established progressive pathway for them and for the Country.

To receive ‘Grants-in-Aid, Funds and Sponsorships’ for the purpose of the Association and deploy the same in such a manner as may be considered desirable for the promotion of ‘Badminton’.

To select ‘Teams’ to represent India and to promote, control and finance visits for International Participation.

To promote, control and, if necessary, to finance the visits of foreign Teams to India.

To have Court Officials Committee (COC), maintain ‘Panel of Umpires’ and also to nominate Umpires to attend Training Camps being organised by BWF & BAC, from time to time, for Certification.

To maintain a panel of ‘Coaches’ and also to nominate National Coaches of Senior and Juniors.

To support, popularise and encourage the development of ‘Badminton’ as a sports for all.

To maintain an ‘Anti-Doping Programme’ and to ensure compliance with ‘BWF/WADA’ code and guidelines.

NEWS 2013

International Badminton Federation news 2013

Parupalli Kashyap reaches career-best ranking after title win

India's ace shuttler Parupalli Kashyap, who recently triumphed in the Syed Modi International India Grand Prix, made a leap of six places to reach a career-best ranking of 14th in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings released on Thursday.

Wednesday March 27, 2013

Saina Nehwal nominated for BWF Female Player of the Year award

The announcement of the winners and the presentation of prizes will take place in Kuala Lumpur on May 18 following the BWF Annual General Meeting.

Friday March 15, 2013

Defending champ Saina enters quarters of Swiss Open badminton

Women's singles top seed Saina had a pretty easy outing against Petya Nedelcheva of Bulgaria as the Indian won 21-15, 21-10 in half an hour to take a 6-2 lead in career head-to-head.

Defending champion Saina Nehwal to start campaign in Swiss Open

Saina will begin her campaign against Sashina Vignes Waran of France and is expected to have a smooth sail till the quarterfinals, where she is likely to meet sixth seed Tzu Ying Tai of Chinese Taipei.

Saina Nehwal's daily training schedule

It is well known that Badminton is a very physically demanding game that requires a great deal of strength and fitness to compete at the top international levels.

Earlier this year, Saina Nehwal had gave an interview to 'timeswellness' in which she had talked about how she keeps fit. She had shared some information about her rigorous training regimen, her diet for strength and endurance, and also about how physical fitness should also be accompanied by mental strength and well-being.

If I remember correctly, her daily fitness schedule that she had mentioned in that interview was something like this:

A typical day in the life of Saina Nehwal when she is training for forthcoming tournaments:

Get up at 6:00 AM
Have a good breakfast. (her main meal)
Go to Gopichand Academy (just 2 kms away from her house)
Practice badminton skills from 7-11 AM
Come back home for Lunch.
Take a short nap.
Return back to academy at 3:30 PM (On the way have a cup of tea)
Practice for 3 hours till 7 PM.
Have a glass of juice after practice.
Followed by Dinner
Then Relax by listening to Hindi film music or watching TV (likes to watch others play)
Practice Yog Nidra (form of yoga meditation)

Saina also has a personal gym at home, it is said, that has all the basic fitness equipment and that she spends quite some time on Yoga (Yog Nidra) for relaxation in both the morning and the evening.

Fitness is the key to success at Top Level

If you look at the best badminton players in the world today, every one of them has well-developed strong legs. Their overall body structure, strength and fitness looks similar to the kind that hockey and football (soccer) players have. Strong muscular legs and high endurance.

Badminton players usually focus on fitness exercises such as running, sprint running, hopping/ jumping/ skipping and a reasonable bit of weight training for improving their fitness. Having strong legs is one of the most important parts of physical fitness in badminton which involves a lot of running, hopping and jumping for the full duration of a badminton match which lasts for about 60 minutes.

Saina's badminton success, her new blonde look, her brand endorsements all attract media attention, however not much is usually reported about the kind of unflinching dedication and commitment that she has had towards her rigorous training schedule for many years.

It is this dedication that has made Saina Nehwal the kind of player that she is.

Badminton Accessories

Apart from the standard badminton equipment such as badminton rackets, shuttlecocks, and badminton net that is required for playing badminton, there are several other badminton accessories such as badminton shoes, headbands, wristbands, badminton apparel and clothing, badminton bags etc. which have become an important part of the badminton kit of most modern professional players today.

The commonly used Badminton Accessories are:

Professional Badminton Bags,
Badminton Clothing / Apparel,
Replacement Grips,
Towel Grips,
Badminton Strings,
Proper Badminton Shoes.

Other common badminton accessories / gift items that are available in the markets are:

Portable badminton net for indoor and outdoor use,
Badminton key chains as gift items,
Mini-Shuttlecocks as gift items,

Out of all the above, I would say having proper badminton shoes is probably the most important badminton accessory, because these shoes are specially prepared for badminton players, keeping in mind the rapid lateral movements and the jumps that badminton players have to execute. Playing with proper nice-fitting badminton shoes as an accessory, instead of any other common jogging or sports shoes, can largely reduce the risk of injuries to the players.

Buying Badminton bags though not necessary, can be a very convenient accessory as most players like to carry 3 or 4 rackets with them for a match, and these badminton bags are particularly designed keeping the shape of the rackets in mind, so that the rackets as well as some shuttlecocks can be carried safely from one place to another without damage.

Importance of Badminton Accessories

Choosing to buy the right badminton accessories can help badminton players to focus on the critical aspects of their game and on their matches, rather than having to spend time on other trifle matters, and hence this small looking aspect, can be an important part of match preparation.

Badminton Net

A Badminton Net divides the badminton court into 2 equal halves. Opponents playing the badminton game take their places on either side of this badminton net, and the objective is to hit the badminton shuttle over this net to the opponents side of the court in such a way that the opponent cannot return it, and it falls to the ground.

Beyond the badminton net

How high is the Badminton Net?
The Badminton net is supposed to he 5 feet & 1 inch high on the edges (from the ground) & should have 5 feet height in the center of the badminton court. The net is held in place extending it over net posts (net poles) on either side of the court. The chair umpire who is governing the badminton match takes his/her place near one of these net posts.

What are the proper dimensions or size of the badminton net, what should be the width (depth) of the net?
The badminton net dimensions / size should be such that the net should be of 2 feet & 6 inches wide (depth), should stretch across to each side of the badminton court & the top edge should be 5 feet above the ground level at the center of the court.

How are badminton nets made?
Badminton nets are made by using various materials, such as nylon, polyethylene, and vinyl. The materials used to make these nets have changed over time, and will no doubt keep on changing as technological innovations allow for more efficient solutions.

Color of the Net Fibres
The fibres whether natural or artificial that are used for making the net, should be of dark color, to provide for better visibility, and they should be of even thickness, in the range of 15mm to 20mm.

Net tape
The nets are lined with a white tape on the upper side, that has a cord or cable within it, so that the net can be stretched over each of the net posts on either side of the badminton court.

If you are looking to buy a badminton net, it would be wise to consider various aspects such as the durability, and the strength of the net, in comparison with the cost.

The Net Posts / Net Poles
The net posts or net poles as they are called are generally made of good quality steel that make it durable in all kinds of weather, and offer stability to the structure. These posts vary depending on whether the intended use is indoors as in the professional badminton circuits or for external use. The outdoor one should be of the type which can be portable & easily wheeled from here to there, while the indoor net post can be plugged into the wooden floor using proper net post accessories.

Badminton Net Specifications

How tall is the Badminton Net?
Height of the net at the center of the badminton court	5 feet (1.524 metres)
Height of the net at the extreme ends of the court (over the sidelines for doubles)	5 feet 1 inch (1.55 metres)

Badminton Net and Posts - Size/Dimensions/Measurements
Depth of the badminton net		2 feet 6 inches (760 mm in depth)
Length/Width of the badminton net		At least 6.1 metres wide so that it extends over the entire court completely.
Badminton net thickness of mesh/net		15 mm to 20 mm (should be uniform throughout)
Colour of the cords (mesh) of the net		Dark colour
Upper Edge/Lining of the net		75 mm white tape

Badminton Posts (Poles) Height		Should stand at 1.55 metres in vertical length when the net is stretched over the posts (poles)

Badminton shuttlecocks

Badminton shuttlecocks (Shuttles)

Badminton Shuttlecocks (also known as Birdies or Shuttles) are a distinct and unique feature of badminton, that make the game so very different from all the other standard ball games.

Unlike most other games that involve playing with a ball, badminton players have to hit these feathery shuttlecocks across to each other with their rackets, and upon being hit these shuttles tend to fly in the air, due to their aerodynamic shape.

There are commonly 2 types of shuttlecocks used by players. The professional players play with the feathered shuttlecocks, while the casual or recreational players may be seen playing badminton with the synthetic shuttlecocks.

Feathered Shuttlecocks (Feathers):

These badminton birdies are conical in shape and made upto 16 bird feathers which are overlapped and laced together by thin threads. One ends of all these feathers are attached firmly together to a rounded cork located at the base of the shuttlecock, giving the shuttlecock it's beautiful flowery shape, and aerodynamic properties. The cork is covered with a thin leather or synthetic material.

Feathered Shuttlecocks are manufactured from the feathers of only the left wings of geese or ducks. Manufacture of shuttlecocks from the feathers of chinese ducks is quite common.

The distinct aerodynamic properties of shuttlecocks are such that a shuttlecock always retains its stability and always flies in the air or lands on the ground cork-first.

When shuttlecocks fly through the air on being hit, they are affected by breeze to a large extent, and hence playing badminton outdoor in a strong breeze, becomes quite difficult. Due to this reason, professional badminton is always played on indoor badminton courts.

Feather Shuttlecock weight:A feathered shuttlecock is very light in weight and weighs only around 4.75 to 5.50 grams.

Number of feathers in a Shuttlecock:Shuttles have 14-16 feathers with each feather 70mm in length.

Shuttlecock dimensions:
The cork diameter (base diameter) is 25-28mm and the diameter of the circle that the feathers make (the top diameter) is around 54mm.

Synthetic Shuttlecocks (Plastics):

Synthetic nylon shuttlecocks are also manufactured but generally badminton players everywhere like the touch and feel of the feather shuttlecocks rather than the synthetic ones.
The main advantage of the synthetic shuttlecocks is that they last much much longer than their feathery counterparts, and hence are more cost-effective for the players who play for recreational purposes only and cannot afford the price of feather shuttles.

In professional play however, using a feathered shuttlecock of the very best quality is the norm.

Badminton Rackets

Badminton Rackets (also called racquets) are very light in weight compared to the rackets used in other sports such as Tennis or Squash. Most modern badminton rackets, do not weigh more than 100 gms.

Materials used:

Long ago people used to play badminton using well-polished wooden framed badminton rackets that were considerably heavy to swing around. Later on, as technological advancements were achieved, these wooden frames were soon replaced with stronger and lighter materials such as aluminum, steel, ceramic, boron, carbon fiber or a combination of these materials.

The badminton rackets that are used by professional players today, are usually made from Carbon fiber which is light-weight as well as being quite strong.

Standard Specifications for Badminton Rackets for professional levels of play is as below:

Total length of the badminton racket should not exceed 680mm.
Total Width (of the racket head) should not be more than 230 mm.

Things to consider when choosing and buying a badminton racket:

Experienced players say that you need not buy a very costly priced racket if you are just starting out in badminton. As your make progress in your game, and learn more about your own style of play, you can opt for better rackets at that point of time.

Weight of the Racket

Lower priced rackets may be generally a bit heavier than high priced rackets, but for beginners there is no harm in starting with it. Only ensure that the racket weight is within the rules specified i.e. less than 100 gm.The weight of a badminton racket is indicated by manufacturers using notations such as 1U, 2U, 3U, and 4U. The 1U indicates heaviest racket weight and 4U is the lightest. The weight of high quality badminton rackets generally ranges from 83 grams to 100 grams.

Grip Size

Alongwith notations for weight, manufacturers also provide notations for grip sizes of the badminton rackets. These usually range from G2, G3, G4 to G5 where G2 is the biggest size grip and G5 is the smallest size. Some brands simply call the grips as small, medium and big sizes. A smaller grip can aid in making the racket is easier to turn in players hands, which can be useful for players who prefer long rallies, and deceptive play.

Head Cover

A good quality badminton racket will also generally come with a head cover when you buy it. This head cover will help to keep your racket safe when it is not in use.

Stiffness and Flex

There are several other factors such as balance point, stiffness and flex of badminton rackets that make rackets different from each other. For finding a good racket for yourself, the best way to judge is to walk into a sports shop/store and try out the rackets yourself. One size does not fit all. And since all players have different physical attributes, hence one type of racket is not suitable for all players.

Whichever racket you ultimately decide to buy, remember that it is ultimately the players skill which matters most at most levels of play. Even badminton rackets that were tailor made to be used by world champions cannot help you win, if you cannot play well.

Improvement in badminton skills, comes more as a result of the badminton practice drills, physical and mental training, and actual match play, as compared to which badminton rackets are being used. Hence practice is more important. However having a good racket that suits you, is also a definite help.

Mentioned below are some of the popular brands of badminton rackets that players opt for.

1. Yonex

2. Li Ning
3. Carlton
4. Wilson
5. Victor

It is a difficult task to compare and review badminton rackets that are made by so many different brands, and to come to a definitive conclusion that a particular brand of racket is the best. This is because playing styles and playing strength varies from player to player and so do their perceptions of rackets.

In general many players consider buying rackets made by Yonex, not only because Yonex offers a wide variety of good quality badminton rackets that can suit players of different playing styles, but also because it has a very good brand name and market reputation. Furthermore the Yonex badminton rackets are easily available in most countries in all the major cities.

Buying Badminton Rackets online

You can also choose to buy badminton rackets online from websites of sports stores or speciality badminton stores or from shopping sites such as Amazon. If you have physically checked out a racket earlier, either with a fellow player or at some sports store, and have confirmed that it will suit you, then buying that racket online at discounted rates can also save on some cost.

Buying Used Badminton Rackets

If you are a beginner in badminton, and are not yet sure which racket will suit you, then it can be a good decision to buy a decent but cheaper used badminton racket that is for sale if it is in a good condition.

Generally fellow players who are going to buy a new badminton racket may want to sell their old one. This can save you on cost, and help you to decide whether that particular brand of racket suits your playing style. However it will be good to ensure that the used racket is in a good condition.

Later on when you are comfortable with a particular badminton racket brand then you can opt for buying a new one off the shelf.