Robert Frost famously said that writing in Free Verse was like playing tennis with the net down. But for the past weeks, we’ve been swatting the birdie about with no net in sight. I don’t feel all that bad about it either. Badminton, afterall, is so affected by the slightest breeze that all serious games are played indoors.
Since we lack a certain seriousness, we play to see how long we can keep a volley going, we sent the shuttlecock high into the air, we smash to birdie into each other, at least one of us tries to bounce the birdie off his racket several times before swatting the thing at his opponent. In general, we are having fun even in the wind. And we use no net.
As I remarked a while back, “Yes it’s badminton – *but not as men know it*. ”
(cue ominous music)
We gona put the “bad” back in badminton!
Badminton has some India connection…oh wait I see your wikipedia link.
Yes, invented in Greece or Egypt? Rediscovered in India as Poona. Taken to England. Renamed after the place in England where it was codified and promoted as a world sport.
Earliest incarnation was in Ancient China, but made its way to Europe