Air Badminton reaches Sri Lankan shores
The latest version of badminton is likely to add more wings to the already popular sport among the young and old of both genders as a mode of pleasure and an element of maintaining physical fitness. Air Badminton was officially launched by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in May, 2019 in Guangzhou, China and by now has gained immense popularity all over the world.
Air Badminton is considered as a launching pad for amateurs to reach the professional level, but the intention of the rapid version’s introduction according to BWF, is to create opportunities for people of all ages to play badminton on any surface with a minimum cost.
“If you take here in Sri Lanka, badminton is already played all over, especially the outdoors. With Air Badminton set to create more opportunities for many of those who are engaged as a leisure or as a fitness mode. We could anticipate a bigger following with the sport being already popular among all,” stated Rohan de Silva, the president of SLB.
The key differences between traditional badminton and Air Badminton is the shuttlecock and the design and dimensions of the court. The Air Badminton court has a two-metre dead zone at the front of the court. Should the ‘Air Shuttle’ land in that area, it is deemed a fault. In addition, the length of the court is slightly larger than of the normal court, but the width stays in the same measurement.
“Who knows, may be Air Badminton could beat traditional indoor version in the coming years in popularity. By now SLB has already reached all provinces of the country and it may easily become a hit among schoolchildren,” SLB President added.
Fittingly Air Badminton is set to become the new trend in Sri Lanka
The new version, which reached Sri Lanka three years after its global launch, has now created the opening for badminton to be included in beach games held nationally, regionally and globally. It has potential to outnumber beach volleyball, a rapid version of traditional volleyball that is more popular than its original version.
Considered as a popular, fun and inclusive sport with more than 300 million active players globally, badminton gives the benefit of burning more than 450 calories in just one hour. According to BWF, the underlying objective of Air Badminton is to promote health and social benefits by providing more positive experiences to more people in more places through badminton.
“I’m sure within days, weeks and months Air Badminton can be seen played all over the country at every available space. This version is faster and needs more energy to play than traditional badminton. We may even be able to scout a few talents from the public to represent the country in time to come,” de Silva added.
Currently Air Badminton is played at professional level in many European countries on specially made centres on sand courts. Unlike the traditional version, Air Badminton is played also as triples in addition to singles and doubles. The point system has a different method where the team to reach 100 points first is considered the winner.
The official launch in Sri Lanka was attended by SLB president Rohan de Silva and vice president Roshan Fernando and a host of other officials. The first game was played between two teams led by de Silva and Fernando, which included two other national players each in them.
“Sri Lanka has only a limited number of indoor courts where badminton can be played. But this is different. This can be played anywhere with minimum facilities. No courts are needed. Only a flat surface is sufficient. The wind is no issue. The shuttlecock is designed in a special way so that Air Badminton can be played even on beaches,” de Silva, a master’s player himself, said.
De Silva also said that his ambition is to introduce Air Badminton for the senior generation first. He also pointed out that SLB’s plan is to promote Air Badminton up to the national level and then take players to international level.