Take a stroll around any one of Beijing’s many parks or residential compounds, and you’re sure to see people playing badminton. Although it was originally developed in England, badminton is not exceptionally popular there, as it is considered a variation of tennis by some. There have even been debates about whether it actually counts as a sport or not, which is why some may not have heard of it. On the other hand, badminton is very popular in China and many of the best-ranked badminton players in the world are Chinese. Many well-known competitions like the Olympics even include badminton events. It is also a lot of fun and you can play it pretty much anywhere.
Some good locations to play badminton around Beijing are in local parks, where it is easy to meet up and hopefully stay out of range from lakes or ponds; tennis courts, if you don’t mind the low nets; larger backyards; and of course dedicated badminton courts.
Around two years ago, when I was only just starting to play, I was invited by my cousin to play against him. It was the first time I had ever seen the interior of an indoor badminton court. It had a lot of nets placed in rows, and there were younger children playing and shouting whilst adults were taking their practice very seriously. Although he is a year younger, my cousin was already a better player than me, which was thoroughly annoying, and was the main reason I was so determined to keep practicing. They say that competition is healthy, and well, my cousin and I have that in spades!
One advantage of badminton is that it is easily accessible and enjoyable for many people. It does take time to learn specific tricks and helpful tips that will make you win more often, and quick reflexes do come in handy, but in general, you don’t have to be good at sports to be successful at badminton, the only thing you need is to be ready to have fun.
If you are eager to learn and improve, I highly recommend you give badminton a try. Take a risk, get out of your comfort zone, and meet some new friends along the way.
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Photos: Unsplash
This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 August issue
