Looking At The History Of Badminton In The World And Indonesia, The Sport That Unites The Nation

Double pair Hendra Setiawan / Mohammad Ahsan while competing in the 2019 BWF World Tour Finals (Photo via admintonindonesia.org)

JAKARTA - It is not an exaggeration to think that badminton is the second religion in this country. When the Indonesian contingent competes, especially in a crucial round, residential streets can be deserted because many are watching. Through badminton, Indonesia's name can also soar. This sport has often produced proud international achievements. Hence, the painful incident experienced by the Indonesian team at the All England 2021, could heat up Indonesian badminton fans. Even though BWF has apologized, the incident has made a lasting impression on Indonesian citizens. Badminton is indeed very close to the life of the Indonesian people, so what is the history of badminton in the country like?

Before going any further, please note that Indonesia has never been absent from international badminton tournaments since the 1970s. So, when some time ago the All England 2021 committee dropped the Indonesian team, of course the Indonesian players, fans and people were disappointed.

"The forced eviction of athletes in the middle of the tournament is certainly very painful. The players are certainly very disappointed," said Syaiful Huda, Chairman of Commission X DPR.

History of world badminton

Quoted from the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) page, badminton or badminton is an ancient type of game played since 2000 years ago, both by children and adults in various countries, such as China, Thailand, Japan, India and Greece.

In Japan, the game of badminton is said to be done with shuttlecock as well, but without a racket. The rejection of the shuttle from one side of the court to the other is done by foot. Shuttlecock rejected before it hits the ground.

In England, in medieval times the community recognized badminton from a house in the Gloucester-Shire area, about 200 km from London. The house has the name Badminton House and is the origin of the development of badminton throughout Great Britain.

Badminton House is a historical witness from the development of badminton to badminton with its current format. The owner of the building, the Duke of Beaufort and his family, was a badminton activist in the 17th century.

The Duke of Beaufort did not invent badminton. the word 'badminton' is used as the name because from that place the game of badminton became known among the top, then spread. Uniquely, badminton is the only sport named after place names.

Regarding the badminton championship, the country named as the first organizer is India, namely in the Pune region. The initiator was the British army. In England, the country's first official badminton championship was held in 1899.

The International Badminton Federation — Badminton World Federation (BWF) —was founded in 1934. The organization of badminton was previously named the International Badminton Federation (IBF).

The initiators were representatives from nine countries, which later became members. The nine countries are England, France, New Zealand, Scotland, Denmark, Republic of Ireland, Canada, Netherlands and Wales.

The formation of the IBF was opposed by a number of member countries in the 1970s for socio-political reasons. Then, another organization called the World Badminton Federation (WBF) was formed in 1978 which contained 22 countries — mostly from Asia and Africa.

This rival organization did not last long after the merger of the IBF and WBF through the unification conference in 1981. The name change of the world badminton organization was officially adopted in September 2006 at the Extraordinary Meeting in Madrid, Spain.

In Indonesia, a national badminton organization was also formed on 5 May 1951. The name of the organization is the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI). In 1953 Indonesia became a member of the IBF so that it was entitled to participate in international competitions.

Regarding competition, All England is said to be the oldest tournament in the world of sports. The origin of All England was the first badminton tournament to be held in Guildford, England, on April 4, 1899.

History of Indonesian badminton

Badminton first entered Indonesia around 1930. In neighboring countries, Britain had introduced the sport to Singapore and Malaysia, which were then colonies.

In 1933 the Indonesian badminton organization was founded in Jakarta, named Bataviase Badminton Bond and Bataviase Badminton League. The two organizations initially stood on their own.

The two later joined forces and formed a strong badminton organization in Indonesia. In 1934, a number of badminton championships were held on the island of Java, mostly concentrated in the city of Bandung.

At that time, badminton developed rapidly. This is said to be related to the Japanese occupation which created an atmosphere of anti-war heat. After that PBSI was in Bandng in 1951.

In the same year, the first PBSI congress was held. Badminton has grown rapidly in Indonesia since it had official patronage. Many international level tournaments that are followed. The athletes often carry the title.

One of the tournaments that became the cup bar for the Indonesian team was the All England. During the implementation of the All England, Indonesia was recorded as having won 48 titles and was ranked fourth in the country with the most titles.

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