Official Badminton

Countries in which Badminton Is Played

There are many countries in which badminton is played. It is the national sport of Indonesia and Singapore. Badminton is the fifth most popular sport in the world. There are over 200 million who play badminton worldwide, from professionals to those who play badminton as a recreational sport. People of all ages play badminton, including children.

The world rankings in badminton are based on matches won at major championships and although badminton is Indonesia's national sport they are not ranked very highly in the world of competition badminton. Yet, Malaysians adore the game of badminton and have some exceptional singles and doubles players within the world rankings. Badminton is so popular in Malaysia and Indonesia that tournaments frequently draw more than 1500 spectators.

China is a major force in the world of badminton and has some of the highest ranked and most revered players in the world. Sweden is also producing some very strong singles players. Denmark has a past history of playing badminton and also has some strong players in the world rankings.

There are many countries in which badminton is played as a recreational sport. Badminton is an excellent aerobic sport and is an extremely social sport, people can gather and play a pleasant game that is easy to set up and can be played on many levels.

Badminton has been played in Vietnam for many years and continues to be a very popular sport there. The modern game of badminton originated in England. The English have had some world class doubles players and continue to compete in major international championships. Badminton remains an extremely popular recreational sport in England.

There is an estimated 1.2 million Americans who play badminton on average twenty five times a year or more. The Badminton Club of New York is the first club specifically dedicated to badminton in America.

There are badminton organizations in over one hundred different countries worldwide. The sport's popularity increased dramatically after it was introduced as an official Olympic sport in 1992 in Barcelona. Badminton was previously played in the 1972 Munich and the 1988 Seoul games as an introduction to the sport. The Commonwealth Games also hosts a large contingent of badminton players and includes teams from England, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many countries from the West Indies such as Trinidad and Tobago.

The Uber Cup is a women's International Championship which has been held every two years since 1986. The United States, China, Japan, and Indonesia are the only countries that have managed to win the Uber Cup. The Thomas Cup is the men's International Championship which is also played every two years.