Forget the four walls of an indoor court — badminton just broke free with AirBadminton’s launch in the Philippines.
Badminton is stepping out of the gym, and into the great outdoors.
In a first for the country, Badminton Asia and the Philippine Badminton Association (PBAD) launched AirBadminton at The Village Sports Club in Parañaque, taking the sport traditionally played at indoor courts to any surface outdoors.
What IS AirBadminton?
Leading the launch was Thana Arikrishnan, senior development manager of Badminton Asia and a former Malaysian national player, who described AirBadminton as “a game for everyone.”
This is a developmental concept by the Badminton World Federation to create more opportunities for people of all ages to play the sport almost anywhere — on grass, sand, or concrete.
No Court? No Problem
For PBAD secretary general Shawntel Nicole Nieto, AirBadminton is a game-changer.
“Sa regular badminton, kailangan nasa indoor court ka at kontrolado ‘yung lighting saka ‘yung wind. Pero sa AirBadminton, you can literally play it anytime, anywhere,” she said. “Mas accessible talaga at flexible siya kaysa sa regular badminton.”
Same Spirit, New Rules
There's no doubt that there are plenty of people who have grown up playing badminton outdoors. So what makes AirBadminton any different?
The twist on the sport features the AirShuttle, a shuttlecock made out of plastic and designed for outdoor use.. It's perfect in withstanding wind conditions unlike a feathered shuttlecock.
While it keeps the same energy and intensity of regular badminton, AirBadminton comes with its own spin:
- Scoring: Best of five sets, race to 11 points.
- Dead zone: According to the BWF, the main difference when it comes to the court is that AirBadminton features a two-meter dead zone at the front.
"Should the AirShuttle land in that area, it is deemed a fault," the BWF stated.
"The characteristics of the AirShuttle make nets shots very difficult to control, therefore, the net area has been taken out to encourage strokes away from the net and to facilitate rally situations," the organization added.
"The player must not step inside the dead zone to hit the AirShuttle; after the hit, the player can step or land inside the dead zone."
“‘Di ka pwedeng tumira twice, dapat alternate,” explained Coach D.A. of Badminton Lab.
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Inna Mina is a sportswriter with a passion for telling stories that go beyond the scoreboard.
She covers running, athletics, and other major Philippine sporting events, while also following grassroots sports, athlete journeys, and women in sports. Her work also includes lifestyle stories on health, fitness, and community.