In the 5th century BC, the people in China played a game called “ti jian zi”. A direct translation from this word ‘ti jian zi’ is kicking the shuttle. As the name suggest, the objective of the game is to keep the shuttle from hitting the ground without using hand. Whether this sport has anything to do with the History of Badminton is up for debate. It was however the first game that uses a Shuttle.

About five centuries later, a game named Battledore and Shuttlecock was played in china, Japan, India and Greece. This is a game where you use the Battledore (a paddle) to hit the Shuttlecock back and forth. By the 16th century, it has become a popular game among children in England. In Europe this game was known as jeu de volant to them.

In the 1860s, a game named “Poona” was played in India. This game is much like the Battledore and Shuttlecock but with an added net. British army officers stationed in India in the 19^th century were so found of this game and that it became a much loved past-time.

The game soon found its way to England where in 1873, “POONA” was played at the Duke of Beaufort’s lawn party in his country place, and became popular among the British society’s elite. The new party sport became known as “the Badminton game”. In 1877, the Bath Badminton Club was formed and developed the first official set of rules.    “The Badminton Game” soon evolved into a popular party sport, and today, is an Olympic medal event.