ON THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY: 1900 Newcastle Badminton Club, world’s oldest, forms in England.
the world’s oldest badminton club, the Newcastle Badminton Club, formed in England around 1900, marking a significant step in the sport’s formal organization as it transitioned from casual play to structured competition, following early clubs like Bath in 1877 and the first All England Championships in 1899.
The rules to the game were standardized by the Bath Badminton Club and written up in 1887. By 1893 there was a Badminton Association of England publication with the regulations set down, very similar to today’s rules. The first All England Open Badminton championships were held in 1899, the first of its kind in the world. The International Bedminton Federation was established in 1934 and it is now called the Badminton World Federation. The original nine member nations have since expanded with 159 member associations.
The game is the fastest racket sport. The shuttlecocks can reach a speed up to 200 mph. Fu Haifeng of China set a smash record measured at 206 mph in 2005. the fastest smash recorded during competition was by Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia who smacked the shuttlecock at 189 mph. The fasted win was made by Paul Butler with 15-0, 15-0 games in a qualifying event for All England, which he won in 11 minutes and needed only 32 rallies. Badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympics.
