Badminton was a game most of us played in school, but after compulsory sport ends badminton, for many, is one of the sports that tends to slip our consciousness. The coverage and publicity is much smaller than most sports that it hardly, if ever, makes the papers or sports channel, but badminton has its elite fallowing. One that’s passionate and in its own accord prestigious, the first tournament played in England in 1898.
In its tournaments, which include the Olympics, badminton teams are usually divided into singles men and women, double men and women and mixed. The game requires a racquet, usually light and with a long handle, a shuttlecock and a net. Unlike tennis, points used to only be scored on serve, so you can only score a point when you start the serve; but the rule was changed so that an estimation of how long the game could last could be made and now points can be scored on either serve. As a rule the shuttlecock can’t touch the floor throughout the game or you lose a point making the sport that much faster. The winner of the match is determined via who wins best of 3 games, in the men’s game the winner of the game is the first to 15 and the women first to 11 points.
The University of Hull Athletic Union has its very own team, and this month the badminton’s Men First Team won Team of the month. The team consists of 9 players, that practice Monday, Thursday, Sunday with other teams- Men’s second, Women’s and a Mixed team. In addition to these, the first team practice Friday nights too. The badminton team play 2 games a week, against other Universities and as part of the Local League which the University of Hull is currently second in.
While talking with Simon Bennett, the Captain of the Men’s 1st Team, Hullfire found out that it is due to the higher number of fresher intake this year that resulted in bigger success of the club ‘The first year I joined there was 2 new players, making 4 in the team but in the second year 5 new players joined, and this year 12 players’ and this is why Simon wanted to stress that everyone is welcome to join, for one game or for a longer commitment, all you need is a racket or turn up and borrow one with no experience required what have you got to lose? But the experience within the club varies, from ex-county players to non-experienced; some of the players are even sponsored by companies just to play badminton so the levels and challenge levels are up to you to set. Simon explain that the badminton club partakes in a lot of competition by taking part in Championships – which are free- and joining Local league. So next time you’re free, or feel like joining a club at beginners or experienced level why not badminton?
Hullfire would like to congratulate Simon Bennett, Chris Powel, Jared Matthew, Micheal Reid, Leo Medley, Karl Rummery, Daniel Jeffries and Joshua Cooper – the Badminton Men’s 1st Team on winning Team of the Month and wish them all the best in the future competitions. Hullfire would also like to congratulate Rugby League’s Jordan Rice on winning Player of the Month.
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