The game is named for Badminton, the country estate of the dukes of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England, where it was first played 1873. The roots of the sport can be traced to ancient Greece, China, and India, and it is closely related to the old children’s game battledore and shuttlecock. Badminton is derived directly from poona, which was played by British army officers stationed in India in the 1860s. The first unofficial all-England badminton championships for men were held in 1899, and the first badminton tournament for women was arranged the next year.

In Australia, badminton was first played as early as 1874 with the first key competitive clubs established in the 1900’s and from then it became a popular pastime for church groups which played the game in church halls. The Australian Badminton Association was formed in 1935, one year after the formation of the International Badminton Federation.

Australia has had 31 badminton olympians.

Badminton became an Olympic sport at Barcelona in 1992, after being a demonstration sport at Munich in 1972. Initially men’s and women’s singles and doubles were introduced. At Atlanta in 1996, a mixed doubles event was included.

Anna Lao and Rhonda Cator were Australia’s first badminton representatives at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. Lao made it through to the quarter-finals in the women’s singles and, with Cator, finished in the same position in the women’s doubles. Australia has been represented at each Games since Barcelona.

At the London2012 Olympics, Australia’s women’s doubles pairing of Renuga Veeran and Leanne Choo matched Lao and Cator’s result in the event as they bowed out in a close quarter final with Canada. Four years later in Rio, Australia’s team of five athletes all faced much higher-ranked challengers and unfortunately all were eliminated in the preliminary rounds of competition.

The Asian nations of China, Indonesia and Korea have dominated the badminton medals at the Olympics. Susi Susanti, in winning the women’s singles in Barcelona, became Indonesia’s first-ever medallist, 40 years after her country first competed at the Games. A few hours after Susanti’s win, Alan Budi Kusama won Indonesia’s second gold medal in the men’s badminton singles.

Badminton was first included at the Commonwealth Games in 1966 held in Kingston, Jamaica. Since that time 81 Australians have represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games.

Australia has successfully brought home 11 medals from the Commonwealth Games, the first medal coming as part of the teams event at the 1982 Games in Brisbane, Australia, with the home team securing the Bronze Medal. The following games held in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1986 saw Australia take a gold in the Mixed Doubles (M. Scandolera/A. Tuckey), a silver in the Men’s Singles (S. Yu) and backing up their performance form the previous games with a bronze in the mixed teams event.

The success continued in the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, with Lisa Campbell winning a gold in the Women’s Singles, Peter Blackburn and Mark Nichols winning the bronze in the Men’s Doubles, Peter Blackburn and Rhonda Cator winning a bronze in the mixed doubles and finally a bronze for Australia in the team event.

Peter Blackburn and Rhonda Cator went on to win the bronze again at the 1998 games in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia and the Women’s team winning the bronze medal.

In Dehli, India 2010 the Women’s Doubles pairing of Kate Wilson-Smith, and Rosie (He Tian) Tang, won the bronze medal, downing the English pair of Wallwork/White.

The BWF World Championships may be relatively new compared to the history of organised competition in the sport, but the event did not take long to grow into the true test of the top individual players and pairs in world badminton. First held in 1977, the World Championships grew to a top-flight global competition which, in its 20th edition, saw the participation of 345 athletes from 47 member associations and was broadcast in high-definition to television viewers throughout the globe.

The All England Championships were already functioning as an unofficial world championship for the individual disciplines. While from the late 1940s, the Thomas Cup — and later the Uber Cup — offered a unique opportunity for men’s and women’s teams to prove themselves as the world’s best, athletes were already able to prove themselves individually. The All England had been providing that opportunity with class and prestige and a tradition that dated back to the dawn of the 20th century.

However, while England may have welcomed the best in the world, there was still room for a world championships. When Sweden hosted the first IBF World Championships in 1977, it was a first step for an event that would soon travel and grow into a global tradition. By the time the fourth edition ended, the Worlds had been seen in three continents. TO read more about the BWF World Championships click here.

At the end of each Clendinnen Carnival, the Cliff Cutt Memorial trophy is presented. This trophy is awarded to the player of a State/Territory team who exhibits the highest standards sportsmanship, personality, court demeanour, playing ability and appearance throughout the tournament.

The Ede Clendinnen teams event is Australia’s senior event. It is usually hosted in late August / early September each year, has a maximum of eight State/Territory Teams. This interstate teams competition is followed by an individual tournament.

It has a significant history.  Reginald Ede Clendinnen, with the support of Victorians Harold Wray and Alf Lennard, decided to start an official interstate series in 1935, the year the Australian Badminton Association was formed (previously there had been a series of interstate competitions from 1929 – 1934). Clendinnen donated the shield for the teams competition, with the three states of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia contesting the event. The competition has continued till today with only a short break from 1940 – 1946.

When the original shield was completely filled with the winners names, the Hon. Roy Ward donated a second shield perpetuating the name “Clendinnen”.

Clendinnen was a significant person in Australian Badminton. He was born in New Zealand, Badminton Tasmania President in 1930 and 1931 and in 1933 he became a life member of the Tasmanian Badminton Association. Clendinnen was also the founding President of the Australian Badminton Association in 1935.

A ‘Test’ event for Under 15 teams held in 2004 at Kilsyth, aimed at introducing promising juniors to a carnival atmosphere and to help them develop the skills and confidence needed to compete in elite events.  Six teams comprising Victoria 1 & 2, Queensland Lions, Thailand RSL, SEBA Scorpions and MDBA RSL proved the worth of this initiative which now has an enthusiastic following.

The first officially recognised National Under 15 Carnival was held in 2005 at Geelong, in Victoria, where twelve teams participated, Ballarat/Bendigo, Geelong Region, Mid-Gippsland, New South Wales, North West Tasmania, Presidents Team, Queensland, Singapore Sports Schools, Southern Sharks Tasmania, Victoria 1 & 2 and Western Suburbs.

The proposal to conduct an Under 15 Carnival was born in the late 1970s, where, with the Victorian Junior committee’s support and direction, VJB secretary Val Nesbitt canvassed all States with the first of the proposals for an Under 15 Carnival.  But before the event could be run and due to national amendments to ‘even’ numbered age levels it became ‘U16’ and so ‘morphed’ into the first of the ‘U16 June Bevan’ carnivals for a few years until the move back to ‘odd’ numbered age levels where it went to being the ‘U17 June Bevan’ (which subsequently shifted the original ‘U18 CP Maddern Carnival’ to Un19s).

The Under 15’s idea slid into a slumber until 2003 where once again, with the support of the Vic Junior Badminton Committee, MDBA and RSL, Val was able to encourage interest in an Under 15 Carnival and with the approval from Badminton Australia to hold a ‘test’ event, the wheel has come full circle.

The tournament was named in honour of Mrs. Val Nesbitt, a dedicated badminton worker who began her ‘volunteering’ at 17 years of age when she joined the Prices of Wales Park Badminton Club in Thornbury Victoria where she was Secretary for five years. 

At the end of each Clendinnen Carnival, the Cliff Cutt Memorial trophy is presented. This trophy is awarded to the player of a State/Territory team who exhibits the highest standards sportsmanship, personality, court demeanour, playing ability and appearance throughout the tournament.

The Australasian Under 17 National Championships is the largest age group tournament on the BA junior calendar. The Under 17 Nationals consists of a national teams event called the June Bevan Trophy followed by the Australasian Championships which is an individuals tournament. Originally conceived as a preparation arena for Under 18 ‘Carnival’ competitions, the 1979 proposal from Victoria for an Under 16 interstate carnival aimed to introduce promising juniors to a carnival atmosphere and help them develop the skills and confidence to compete in elite events.

It was not until 1983 that the first carnival was held in Newcastle, NSW, with three States – NSW, Victoria and Queensland competing. The tournament was considered a great success and plans were made to repeat it the following year, again in Newcastle. In honour of former Australian and NSW champion, June Bevan, a dedicated coach and supporter of junior badminton, a perpetual trophy was donated for the event, making her name synonymous with Under 16 elite competition in Australia and New Zealand.

1984 saw the inclusion of a team from Auckland, then in 1985 Hobart, Tasmania and the Sturt Club from South Australia entered. The same number of teams competed in 1986. In 1987, when the event was held in Auckland, team numbers increased with the inclusion of additional New Zealand teams, although Hobart was unable to field a team that year. By 1988, ten teams were competing, with three from Victoria and three from New Zealand, which was now defined as three regions – Northern, Central and Southern.

The ACT became involved in 1989 as wider interest in the event throughout Australia and New Zealand became evident. 1990 was again a ten team draw. In 1991 the carnival saw the welcome return of a team from Tasmania and for the first time, Geraldton in WA.

In 1992, the 10th anniversary of the Under 16 Badminton Carnival was significant in that it was the first year as an official Australian Carnival. The Australian Badminton Association By-Law to regulate the event recognizes the dual involvement of Australia and New Zealand and introduced the Under 16 Badminton Singles Championships.

In 1996, the tournament was held in Castle Hill, Sydney and was renamed the Under 17 Australasian Junior Championships with 13 teams competing. In 1998, in Auckland, 16 teams played in the competition.

2001 saw the first time the event was held in WA and the first Australian Carnival held in the new Badminton Association of WA’s Kingsway International Sports Stadium, Madeley.

In 2005 the carnival was hosted at ‘Springers’, home of the South Eastern Badminton Association. A total of 17 teams entered – another record, and for the first time a combined Oceania team with players from Fiji and Samoa.

The Nationals holds a warm and sentimental place in the memories of all those who have been involved in or have contributed to its success. The record of achievement of many players who began their badminton careers as an Under 16/17 team member is an inspiration and incentive to many more young badminton juniors in the future.

Since its inception in 1983, the June Bevan Trophy is the highlight of many young badminton player’s year.

The first carnival was held in Newcastle, New South Wales in 1983 with three States,  NSW, Victoria and Queensland taking part.

A perpetual trophy, named after a former Australian and NSW badminton champion and a great supporter of junior badminton, was donated. June Bevan’s name is now synonymous with the largest under 17 elite competition played every Easter in Australia or New Zealand

From 1983 to 1991 the Carnival was an unofficial Teams event played over the Easter holiday period of three days (Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday)

In 1992, the 10^th Anniversary of the June Bevan Trophy, the Carnival was officially adopted by Badminton Australia with the U17 Australian Singles Championships being introduced. Doubles and mixed doubles were added to the Australian Championships in 1995.

In 1996 these championships were renamed the Australasian Under 17 championships, uniting the national connections of Australia, New Zealand and (now) Oceania.

New Zealand’s Northern Region and Victoria’s Rebels teams have dominated the record of June Bevan Trophy winners with Northern Regions admirable record of fourteen wins to Victorian Rebels seven wins.

In 1996 the Northern New Zealand team became the first team to record three consecutive June Bevan Trophy titles.

2007 will be the 25^th anniversary of this event which will be hosted by Canterbury Association in Christchurch, New Zealand.

In 1997 northern region Renee Flavell and Western Australia’s  Nick Kidd made history when they each won three Australasian titles. Subsequent other players to win three titles in the same year have been:-

1999 John Moody (NNZ)

2000 Karen Tam (NNZ)

2001 Ben Walklate ( Vic)

2002 & 2003 Michelle Chan (NNZ)

2005 Kenny Ng (NSW)

2006 Leanne Choo (SA)

Administrators during the 1960’s were concerned at the lack of opportunity for younger players to compete at a national level. Discussions took place between Victoria and Tasmania to establish teams’ competition for Under 17 players. South Australia joined the cause and in 1966 a national competition for teams and individual events began.

Mr C.P. Maddern was Secretary of South Australian Badminton at that time and he donated the perpetual trophy for the national teams’ competition with the expectation and hope that the competition would grow. Eventually all States joined the competition and now it has become International with New Zealand being invited since 2002.

Tasmania won the first official competition in 1966, Western Australia won for the first time in 1975 and New South Wales in 2000, but in the 38 years of the trophy, Victoria has dominated the event, although all States and Territories have been the beneficiaries.

Many Australian players have come through this event, including Commonwealth Games Gold Medallists Lisa Campbell (Bryant), Michael Scandolera and Audrey Tuckey (Swaby), national senior champions and Australian representatives, Cheryl and Sandra Mullett, Paul Tyrrell, Lynne McElroy, Ross Livingston, Geraldine Brown, Sue Oates, Karen Jupp, Linda Best, Darren and Julie McDonald and Olympians Rhonda Cator, Lisa Cambpell, Peter Blackburn, Paul Stevenson and Paul Straight.

The competition has had some changes in age constraints over the years and it became the Australian Under 18 years (later Under 19 years) championship but the purpose has remained – that young people should be encouraged in the sport.

The Joy Twining Trophy was first instituted in 1982.  It is awarded to the player of the tournament who exhibits the highest standards of sportsmanship, personality, court demeanour, player ability, determination and appearance.

Mrs Twining is the donor of the trophy.  She was an outstanding player for South Australia, represented Australia numerous times, including Commonwealth Games, and won three Australian singles and a ladies doubles title.  She received in the Order of Australia (OAM) and a Meritorious Service Award (IBF) for services to Badminton.

The Joy Twining Trophy is awarded to the player who exhibits the highest standards of

SPORTSMANSHIP

PERSONALITY

COURT DEMEANOUR

PLAYER ABILITY

DETERMINATION

APPEARANCE

In celebration of unity and diversity, in 2024 Badminton Australia proudly announced the new Indigenous artwork that captures the essence of the nation’s badminton community. The design has been incorporated in new staff uniforms, and polo tops for our National Falcons players.

The artwork was created by proud Gunditjmara and Tiwi Islander, Kiewa Austin-Rioli, a talented young artist who designed this distinctive masterpiece as testament to the strength, support, and togetherness that defines the sport of badminton in Australia.

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