Sports(Seulement disponible en anglais présentement)
(Source: http://www.ladepeche.fr)
There are many clubs and associations around the world who have Badminton training and competitions for people with a disability. Referred to as Para-Badminton, participants can play in wheelchairs if required. The rules are the same as Badminton, and the game is played with a racket and birdie within a gymnasium.
Classification
Athletes from all disability groups, except blindness or visual impairment, can compete in Para-Badminton. There are standing and sitting classes.
Each class of standing and sitting have their own different classification levels.
Standing:
- Standing below waist class 1 – BMSTL 1: Very severe impairments of legs (poor static and dynamic balance)
- Standing below waist class 2 – BMSTL 2: Moderate impairments of the legs
- Standing below waist class 3 – BMSTL 3: Very mild impairments in legs
- Standing above waist class 1 – BMSTU 4: Severe impairments of
- Standing above waist class 2 – BMSTU 5: Severe to moderate impairment of non-playing arm
Sitting:
- Wheelchair class 1 – BMW1: Tetraplegic player with lesion above C8 minimal motor losses
- Wheelchair class 2 – BMW 2: Paraplegic Players with the lesion above T12
- Wheelchair class 3 – BMW 3: Paraplegic Players with the lesion L1 and below.
Also, people with other loco-motor disabilities, including back and torso, and little people are eligible to play in the ``les autres`` category.
History
The sport of Badminton has its origins in ancient civilisations in Europe and Asia. The ancient game known as Battledore (bat or paddle) and Shuttlecock probably originated more than 2000 years ago.
In the 1600s Battledore and Shuttlecock was an upper class pastime in England and many European countries. Battledore and Shuttlecock was simply two people hitting a shuttlecock backwards and forwards with a simple bat as many times as they could without allowing it to hit the ground.
A contemporary form of Badminton - a game called ‘Poon’, was played in India in the 1800s where a net was introduced and players hit the shuttlecock across the net. British officers in the mid 1800’s took this game back to England and it was introduced as a game for the guests of the Duke of Beaufort at his stately home ‘Badminton’ in Gloucestershire, England where it became popular.
For more Information, contact the Badminton World Federation
Source: Badminton World Federation
