#67: The Origins of Badminton
Badminton has been around in some form or another for centuries. However, the British added a wild new twist in 1867. They added a net through the middle of the court. Pretty spicy. With the introduction of the net came new rules and regulations that badminton fans are familiar with today. What may not be familiar, however, is the game’s original name.
The Brits who invented the modern version of badminton were British army officers stationed in Poona, India. The area is now named Pune in Maharashtra, but back in the 19th century, people called the city Poona and named their new game after its city of origin. The game lost all connections to its roots when it was imported back into England. A British duke renamed the game “badminton” after his country estate, Badminton House. How quaint.