Increasing Popularity of Badminton – Trend or Fad?

Badminton has been around for a very long time; that's just a fact. Although it held a different name and had different rules, it was still the same game we all know and love. I know I do. But as years pass, a question arises, is badminton a trend? Or is it a fad?

It takes a lot of knowledge to be able to adequately address such a question, as multiple factors need to be addressed before an answer to the question arises. Because of the length of time the sport has been around, there are various factors that state the sport is a trend. However, with the surge in players over recent years, there are other factors that contribute to it being a fad.

History and Today

When thinking back on badminton, if your memory can go back that far, the first instances of badminton being played were by children with a game called Battledore and Shuttlecock. They would play the game without a net and would run around batting the shuttlecock back and forth.

This was largely from their physical exercise, and from then, the game was turned into a sport. Now, it can be said that the Covid-19 pandemic has had something to do with the surge in players, but that doesn't necessarily contribute to the fad part of this argument.

While there have been more players in recent years due to Covid-19 and badminton being a game where social distancing is always present, the number of players that have continued to play the game for months goes to show that badminton is an excellent form of exercise.

Appeal Spanning to Many Corners

With it being offered in nursing homes, badminton has been popular for older folks as it's such a low-impact sport. It thus gains them the ability to play a sport without worrying about being injured. However, now that there are more younger people playing badminton, there has been more demand for shuttles and racquets to continue playing. This means that they have caught the "badminton bug" and want to keep playing the sport for as long as they can.

No matter which way you look at it, badminton has been around for so long that it was bound to make a comeback regardless of the pandemic. Moreover, there have been surges in the popularity of the sport for decades. So regardless of a virus that keeps us all apart, there was always going to be a time when badminton became more popular.

With all of this being said, it goes to show that badminton is more of a trend than a fad for the simple fact that it’s a simple game with simple rules that really anyone can play with ease. Badminton will be around for years to come, and during that time, it will remain a popular sport, regardless of the age of the players.