While contemporary badminton first appeared in England in the mid-1800s, the game had its roots in the ancient civilisations of Europe and Asia with a game called battledore (bat or paddle) and shuttlecock. By the 1600s battledore and shuttlecock was popular in England and the rest of Europe.

In India, a net was introduced to battledore and shuttlecock and a new game called Poona was developed. Soldiers returning from service in the sub-continent took Poona back to England and as a result, the Duke of Beaufort introduced a form of that game to his well-to-do guests at his Badminton House home in Gloucestershire. From that introduction the Duke’s guests took the game to their friends. The new game of badminton had been born, with its name taken from the Duke’s residence. The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was formed in 1934 and now there are around 150 members.

Badminton became an Olympic sport in Barcelona in 1992, after being a demonstration sport in Munich in 1972.  Initially men’s and women’s singles and doubles were introduced.  In Atlanta in 1996, a mixed doubles event was included – this is the only mixed doubles event in all of the Olympic sports. Of the nineteen gold medals awarded for badminton, China has won eight, Indonesia and Korea five each and Denmark one. 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 is the world's fastest racket sport. With the flight of the shuttlecock, a missile of cork and goose feather that players volley across the net, recorded at speeds of 332 km / hr.

A badminton match comprises the best of three games. A coin is tossed before the first game, and the winner of the toss may serve first or pick an end of the court. Only the serving side can score, and the winning team needs 15 points in doubles and men's singles, or 11 in women's singles.

Each of the five Olympic events involves a single-elimination tournament, with the top eight players or pairs seeded.

In Australia, badminton was first played in 1900, 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 IBF.

Anna Lao and Rhonda Cator were Australia’s first badminton representatives, in Barcelona. 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.

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