Schedule Of Badminton Events

The visitors to the badminton matches at the London 2012 Olympic Games will need lightning-fast reactions if they are to keep up with shuttlecocks travelling at speeds of 400 kmph. The badminton events will be hosted at the Wembley Arena, a site that has hosted major events ever since the British Empire Exhibition opened there in 1924, starting on Saturday July 28 and culminating on Sunday August 5. Known to be one of the most dynamic Olympic sports, badminton debuted in Olympics at Barcelona in 1992. The game has its origins in Pune, India where in the 19th century British military officers placed a net to the ancient game of battledore (meaning 'bat') and shuttlecock, and named this new game after the town. Later, when the officers left the country, they bought the sport of Poona game with them to Great Britain and was played at the Duke of Beaufort's Gloucestershire residence in 1873. This residence was aptly called Badminton House and this is how the thrilling sport came into being.

Olympic Badminton
Once the Olympic qualifications are played between 2 May 2011 and 29 April 2012, the Badminton World Federation will publish its rankings list on 3 May 2012, based on which the spots will be filled. Every nation can enter a total of three players and they will secure 3 quota places if 3 players are ranked 4 or above, 2 if 2 players are ranked 16 or above and otherwise one quota place till the quota contingent of 38 is filled up. The Olympic badminton of 5 events - men's singles and doubles, women's singles and doubles, and mixed doubles, will be played for the best of three games. The winners will then qualify for the knockout stage in the competition and go on to play for the bronze, silver, and gold medal matches.