Badminton Is Not A Popular Sport In America, Here Is Why.

Badminton is a sport that dates its roots back to the late 1800s. It has been known by different names over the years including Poona, Shuttlecock, and Battledore. It can be played as a team sport, but the more popular versions are the singles and doubles, with one and two players per side respectively. The equipment used in Badminton includes the shuttlecock which serves as the ball and the badminton rackets. It may be played on the grass or the beach casually, but in a more professional setting, it requires a properly marked rectangular court. However, despite all this sophistication, Badminton has not gained a large following in the USA as compared to the other sports. Games like the American Football, Hockey and even Swimming have become loved over the years and will see millions of people gathering just to watch them live. In fact, American Football is so popular; it is almost a movement in the country. But not Badminton. Here are some of the reasons why Badminton is not as celebrated as it should be in the USA.

General Perception of the Sport.

A large number of people do not know what Badminton is, and for those that do know, they do not realize that it is indeed a certified and recognized phenomena in the sports world. Many people believe Badminton is a game you play with your family on Sunday afternoons in your backyard or the Park. Some even think it is a made up pass time. Many people who know and engage in this game have complained of being demeaned. They claim that, whenever they happen to mention playing badminton, people either tease them, laugh at them, or ask if they play any ‘real sports.’

This kind of mentality has hurt and stunted the growth of Badminton because as the children grow up, they pay no real attention to the game. It is just like hide and seek or police and robbers. Games played in childhood. No one ever grows up wanting to be a professional hider or seeker. The same goes for Badminton. And if these beliefs are not changed, Badminton may end up being a thing of the past.

Tennis takes all the Glory.

When it comes to racket games, Tennis came, saw and conquered the attention and love of people. Therefore when Badminton came along, there was not much attention left for it. Tennis also saw the rise of so many powerful players including the Serena and Vanessa Williams. Badminton has stars such as Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan, but most people will have to look them up on the internet to know who they really are. Perhaps people did not see the need for two racket games that are almost similar. But that is where most people go wrong. Viewing Badminton as the weird, awkward sister to Tennis, when in fact, they are two separates, very different entities. Badminton also happens to be just as difficult, if not more.

Very Limited Media Coverage.

You will have to search far and wide for you to get any live coverage of a Badminton game. Even in the Olympics, Badminton is aired in the wee hours of the night when no one is watching. Therefore, there is not much media-based exposure of the game.

Even in sports news, other sports will be first to make news before Badminton gets to be featured. In this day and age, where almost everyone gets the information they need from reading online news, watching YouTube videos and following trending stories on social media, Badminton suffers very low popularity, because it almost always never appears in any of these.

Lack of Sponsors

See how other sports have big companies, institutes, governments and even private individuals backing them up and supporting their cause? Badminton has limited to none support from sponsors. Perhaps because it is an underrated sport, most sponsors do not see any reason to invest their money and other resources in it with the fear of going at a loss.

And this is part of the reason why Badminton may never pick up the pace. No one is willing to take a chance with it, and sooner or later, it may end up living to its wrongly given reputation; just another backyard game.

Low Returns

If there is something that encourages people to venture into a certain field or profession, apart from passion and interest, it is the monetary returns that come with it. Games like the American Football, Soccer, Hockey and Basket Ball have very big paychecks at the end of every game, no wonder so many people are into them.

However, it is not even close to the truth in the case of Badminton. For example, Datuk Lee Chong was given a 15000 dollar check after winning a Super Series Title in Badminton, an amount that is not even quarter of what a footballer would get if comparisons were to be made.

Because of this, people who have a passion for the sport end up playing it on weekends, or in friendly matches, just for the sake of it, never as a serious independent career.

There is no motivation for the young stars

Many other sports have been able to engage and interest a lot of young talents. Be it through inviting stars to schools, or giving out sports scholarships in school, either way, a lot of young people in America have gotten into sports because of the opportunities presented to them. Unfortunately, Badminton does not have this kind of candy house.

There are no significant advertisements or campaigns that may get young talents to be interested to join. In fact, the public perception of Badminton is very negative, most young people choose not to engage, for fear of being misunderstood and therefore teased.

America does not dominate in Badminton

Perhaps this is the most significant reason as to why Badminton cannot catch a break in the USA. The country has not been known to dominate in the game. Remember all the other celebrated games mentioned above? Football, tennis, hockey, and basketball? They all have one thing in common. Americans are star players in each and therefore have become more accepted and loved with time.

In Badminton, however, the Asians always take the glory and cup. That is why there are billions of Asians involved in Badminton and only less than ten thousand in America. See the difference? Even in the Olympics, the Asians always take the cups and medals and so, just as is human nature, America began losing interest in the game.

However, that should not mean that Badminton should not be cultured. It is an excellent sport that helps in keeping one fit, active and smart.

http://www.worldbadminton.com/commentary/badfaq1.htm

http://www.badminton-information.com/why_isnt_badminton_popular_in_america.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20715885

https://sportten.com/racquet-sports/badminton/