Badminton, what are the rules and how do you compete?

The Badminton appeared for the first time in the Olympic Games in Barcelona 1992. For Tokyo, it will have individual categories for men and women, as well as male, female and mixed couples. A total of 69 different nations have participated and only 19 have appeared in all editions since it became an Olympic sport. Although only in Barcelona 1992 it was established as part of the Olympic program, in Munich 1972 it had a presence as an exhibition sport.

Badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992, thanks to the growing popularity it enjoyed in the early 1990s, when international tournaments began to be held, mainly in Asia and Europe. The first world championship was in 1998, in the Netherlands. In the 20th Badminton World Championships, in 2015, more than 230 athletes participated, representing 35 countries.

Basic rules:

Unlike other racquet sports, a ball is not used, but rather as a shuttlecock or feather, which is cone-shaped and has goose feathers embedded on a cork base.

Matches are played at the best of three sets and to win a set, you have to be the first to reach 21 points. If there is a tie at 20, it must be won by a difference of two points, up to a maximum of 30 points.

The player or team wins a point when their opponent cannot answer the pen over the net, or lets it touch the ground, as long as it lands within the limits of the court.

In the individual categories, the players are divided into groups of three to four players, with round-trip matches. The best qualified from each group advance to the quarterfinals. In doubles, they are divided into four groups of four and the best of each group reach the quarterfinals.

– How the medals are earned: The players who make it out of the group stage face direct elimination, starting in the eighth-finals in the individual category and starting in the quarter-finals in doubles.

The athletes are eliminating each other until only two remain, who compete for the Olympic Gold in the final. The loser gets the silver and among those eliminated in the semifinals they fight for the Olympic bronze.

Historical figure: The Chinese Gao Ling. He holds the historical record of 4 total medals in Olympic Badminton: two Golds, one Silver and one Bronze. She is considered the best doubles badminton player in history. In Sydney and Athens he won Gold in mixed pairs. In Athens 2004 she took silver in women’s doubles and in Sydney 2000 bronze in that same category.

Current figure: Chen Long. The Chinese is the current champion and will seek to win his second straight gold medal, after the one obtained in Rio 2016. The 32-year-old veteran also won bronze in London 2012 and in Tokyo he will seek to add to his already historic legacy.

– Badminton in Tokyo 2020: Badminton at the Tokyo Olympics will be played from July 24 to August 2. It will have five events: Single (male and female), Doubles (male and female) and mixed doubles. In total, 172 athletes from 50 countries will participate.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED: TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES: SAILING, WHAT ARE THE RULES AND HOW DO YOU COMPETE?