Badminton Facts:
- 131 countries are members of the IBF (International Badminton Federation)
- Badminton is the world's fastest racket sport: a shuttle can leave the racket at a speed of almost 200 mph
- A badminton player can cover more than one mile in just one match
- A shuttlecock weighs between 4.74 and 5.50 grams the best shuttles are made from the feathers from the left wing of a goose 16 feathers are used to make a shuttle
- The biggest shuttle in the world can be found on the lawns of the Kansas City Museum 48 times larger than the real thing, 18 feet tall and weighing 5000 pounds
- The Thomas Cup, the men's world team championships, has been won by only three countries since it began in 1948 - Malaysia, Indonesia and China
- The only time the Uber Cup, the women's world team championships, was won outside Asia was by the USA in 1957, 1960 and 1963; other holders are China, Indonesia and Japan
- It is an American, Judy Hashman, who holds the record number of All-England titles - 17 in total
- The first US championships in Chicago in 1937 were played on 21 courts
- Famous personalities who play badminton include Paul Newman, Diego Maradona and Nick Faldo
- Badminton's history dates back to Ancient Greece and the early Far-Eastern civilisations; versions of the game, sometimes using a foot instead of a racket, have been depicted on pottery around 3000 years ago, in China
- Once known as battledore and shuttlecock, the game as we know it today took its name from Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England - home of the Duke of Beaufort
- Badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992 more than 1.1 billion people watched badminton's Olympic debut on TV
- The two most successful badminton countries are China and Indonesia which between them have won 70% of all IBF events
- Crowds of up to 15000 are common for major badminton tournaments in Malaysia and Indonesia