Badminton

Badminton is an indoor racket sport that rewards agility and adaptability, demanding exceptional stamina, explosive speed and razor-sharp reflexes. Played in a singles or doubles format, athletes on opposite halves of a court use rackets to hit a shuttlecock – a small, feathered projectile – back and forth over a net. These high-speed rallies require relentless movement, strategic thinking and split-second decision-making, as players aim to score points by landing the shuttlecock on the opposition's side of the court or force errors. A point is won on every serve and matches follow a best-of-three format, with each game played to 21 points. Badminton offers a thrilling spectacle of fast footwork, athletic leaping and sustained bursts of energy, captivating Olympic spectators since its debut at the Barcelona 1992 Games.