Combining fast thinking, nimble manoeuvring and precision power, it’s little wonder that Badminton is considered one of the fastest and most exciting sports.

Badminton is dubbed the fastest racquet sport in the world and combines agility and aerobic strength with nimble footwork and precision placement.

The sport is played using a shuttlecock or shuttle – a rounded cork attached to an aerodynamic cone traditionally made of goose feathers.

Opponents hit the shuttle between each other over a net. If a player’s shuttle hits the ground, their opponent wins the point.

The winner is the first player or pair to reach 21 points. A match is the best of three games.

Badminton has ancient origins and has featured at every Commonwealth Games since Jamaica 1966.

Badminton Fast Facts

• The two most successful countries are England with 112 medals, including 37 gold medals and Malaysia with 69 medals, including 31 gold.
• A shuttle weighs between 4.74 and 5.50 grams.
• The fastest badminton hit in competition is 417km/h (259mph), achieved by Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) in Tokyo, Japan, on 24 September 2017.
• The longest professional badminton match went for 124 minutes. The shortest match lasted six minutes.
• Elite doubles players can hit between 40 and 50 shots in around 20 seconds.