Fast Facts of Badminton

• Badminton is the world's fastest racket sport: the shuttle has being recorded as travelling at a speed of 332 kph

• A badminton player can cover more than one mile in just one match

• A shuttlecock weighs between 4.74 and 5.50 grams

• The best shuttles are made from the feathers from the left wing of a goose

• 16 feathers are used to make a shuttle

• The biggest shuttle in the world can be found on the lawns of the Kansas City Museum - 48 times larger than the real thing, 18 feet tall and weighing 5000 pounds

• The Thomas Cup, the men's world team championships, has been won by only three countries since it began in 1948 - Malaysia, Indonesia and China

• The only time the Uber Cup, the women's world team championships, was won outside Asia was by the USA in 1957, 1960 and 1963; other holders are China, Indonesia and Japan

• Famous personalities who play badminton include Paul Newman, Diego Maradona and Nick Faldo

• Badminton's history dates back to Ancient Greece and the early Far-Eastern civilisations; versions of the game, sometimes using a foot instead of a racket, have been depicted on pottery around 3000 years ago, in China

• Once known as battledore and shuttlecock, the game as we know it today took its name from Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England - home of the Duke of Beaufort

• Badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992 more than 1.1 billion people watched badminton's Olympic debut on TV

• The two most successful badminton countries are China and Indonesia which between them have won 70% of all IBF events

• Crowds of up to 15000 are common for major badminton tournaments in China, Malaysia and Indonesia

Source: www.badders.com