From Deseret News archives:
2,000-year-old badminton staging a comeback
Players are more agile — they dart around the court and fire calculated, precise shots. The game is faster — the shuttlecock can fly at speeds of more than 100 mph. And equipment is pricier — some rackets can cost more than $150.
But Witte said there still is not enough serious interest in badminton and that, for most Americans, the game hasn't moved out of the tap-tap game played in the backyard.
"I think that most people have the impression that badminton is a sport where you've got a gin and tonic in one hand," Witte said.
Although badminton has a bad rap, aficionados of the sport said they hope to recruit younger American players. The USA Badminton Education Foundation is trying to foster the sport's growth by reaching out to children. The national governing body has posted a guide of court locations on its Web site to help draw in new players.
"There's nothing wrong with the kids," the 81-year-old Witte said. "It's a matter of exposure."
The competitive game and its backyard cousin are starkly different. Some top players said they often prefer enclosed areas with walls painted bright green, so they can easily see a darting shuttlecock.
While leisure players might not be prepared for quick shots, the best competitors are conditioned to move fluidly across the court. They prepare for brutal corner drives and smashes across the flimsy net. Rally play can stretch on; lobs can tower over players, and short blasts can force them to react with the speed of a hockey goalie.
A 2006 Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association study found that 6.2 million Americans played badminton in 2005, said Mike May, a spokesman for the association. Of those, May said, the average badminton player only played about 13 days per year.
The sport enjoys more popularity in Asia — China, South Korea and Indonesia have won 85 percent of the Olympic medals — and Europe.
"I don't expect everybody to play it, but I just want people to have a healthy respect for it," USA Badminton regional director, Dave Zarco, said. "Because if people have a healthy respect for it, then badminton becomes more popular."
Players said American teams could keep pace with international rivals if more prize money was involved, a larger television audience watched the game and stronger junior programs developed. But the United States can't really compete now, players say, because there isn't much of that.
Zarco said he tries to introduce south Florida high school students to the game, but is met with resistance from football, basketball and baseball coaches who don't want to see their best players distracted.
