Badminton

Badminton is game played by volleying a shuttlecock i.e. a small, cork hemisphere to which feathers are attached—over a net. Light, gut-strung rackets are used. Badminton, which is generally similar to tennis, is played by two or four persons. The net is 5 ft (1.52 m) high at the center and 5 ft 1 in. (1.55 m) at the posts. The game was first discovered in India, although it may have been known earlier in China. It was popular in the 1870s in England, taking its name from Badminton.The game was introduced into the United States in the 1890s and grew in popularity in the 1930s. The International Badminton Association (founded 1934) sponsors the Thomas Cup for men's teams and the Woer Cup for women's teams, the world championships of badminton. Badminton has been an official Olympic sport since 1992.