|
all about badminton-it's history and origins
FACTS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE GAME
A very long history for one of the
Olympics newest sports! Badminton took its name from Badminton House in
Gloucestershire, the ancestral home of the Duke of Beaufort, where the sport was
played in the last century. Gloucestershire is now the
base for the International Badminton Federation. |
For the recent Thomas & Uber Cups in Hong Kong, the sale of commercial and television rights was a multi-million dollar contract. And it's not just in Asia. In Europe, also, there's a growing number of companies bidding for rights. Television companies world-wide are already buying exclusive rights to the 1997 World Championships, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
A turning point in badminton's growth was the $20 million tripartite contract in 1994 for sponsorship of the World Grand Prix Finals. Under the terms of the deal between the IBF, IMG and STAR TV, STAR injects the monies into the promotion and development of badminton. In return STAR gains total exclusivity for the exploitation of the commercial and television rights to the WGP Finals. "The deal was good for both main parties", said David Shaw, IBF's Executive Director, who was brought into the organization with a brief to grow the sport. "We needed a strong partner in television, and the broadcaster had identified badminton as a vehicle which would attract audiences across Asia to its Prime Sports Channel".
The next phase in the rise and rise of international badminton has been to retake the USA. The US was an early member of the IBF and initially one of the most successful. When the Uber Cup was introduced in 1956, Americans won the first three events. But then interest waned.
Badminton is a well liked and familiar sport in the USA, but predominantly
is usually played as a fun game in the back yard or on the beach. We know that once Americans
see the other badminton - international badminton, the world's fastest
racket sport - they will want to see and play more. The Atlanta Olympics started to raise
the sport's profile in the US. The event was a sell-out and became one of
the "must-see" sports. Ex-President Jimmy Carter, Chelsea Clinton, Paul
Newman and Princess Anne were among the celebrities who came to watch. David
Broder of the Washington Post reported: "seeing one of the supreme athletic
spectacles of my life".
1996 was a landmark in USA badminton. It's not only the Atlanta Olympic
Games that started to generate tremendous interest in the US market. In
December 1995 the IBF introduced a new concept tournament in California, the
Hong Ta Shan Cup; a men's invitation tournament with the best players and
big prize money. There are now plans plans to add a women's event and to
increase the prize money. The Hongtashan Group has gone on to sponsor the US
Open, increasing the prize money to
$200,000 . This makes the event the most valuable World Grand Prix
event in the series and gives it six-star status.
The degree of change is increasing. Badminton's debut as an Olympic Games
sport has manifestly boosted interest internationally. The STAR TV agreement
has increased the sport's coverage dramatically. Sponsors and television
companies are being attracted to a sport which gives them access to the
Asian economies. And, spectators are increasingly attracted to the "exciting
mix of angles, tactics, touch, reaction and fitness that would exhaust a
squash champion.
sporting facts and history
Badminton Baseball Basketball Beach Volleyball Chess Cricket Golf Hang Gliding Ice-Hockey Karate Lacrosse Para Gliding Racquetball Sailing Soccer Softball Swimming Table Tennis Tennis Track and Field Triathlon Volleyball Water Polo Wrestling
PLEASE CLICK BELOW FOR MORE DETAILED SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE COLLEGE SPORT
Baseball I Basketball I Bowling I Cross Country I Fencing I Field Hockey I Football I Golf I Gymnastics I Ice Hockey I Lacrosse Rowing I Skiing I Soccer I Softball I Swimming I Tennis I Track and Field I Volleyball I Water Polo I Wrestling
Cardio Respiratory training I Diet For Sport I Sports Training I Lose Weight I Other Sports I Performance Enhancing Drugs I Sports Equipment I Sports Medicine Weight Training I Martial Arts I Sports Injuries I Olympic Games I Cheerleading I Athletics I Extreme Sports
Copyright Athleticscholarships.net
To link to this site please contact the webmaster.