The following transcript is from an article in The Daily News and Westminster Gazette published on November 20, 1928. The article was written by Miss L.C. Radiglia. She was at the time the editor of the Badminton Gazette and a former All England Singles Champion (1913, 1914, and 1923).
“The attraction of badminton, then, lies not only its being a convenient winter pastime, but in the merits of the game itself and in the demands it makes on mental as well as physical quickness and alertness.”
Miss L.C. Radiglia, 1928
Why badminton is booming
Badminton, as a winter game, has so much to recommend it that its rapid increase in popularity is easy to understand.
It is a game that is independent of weather, since it is played indoors; it can be played in the evening, after the working hours of busy people, as artificial lighting can be more easily adapted to its requirements than daylight; equipment is comparatively inexpensive – the best quality rackets cost 37s. 6d., while good serviceable ones can be bought for about 18s. 6d. or a guinea, and shuttlecocks are to be obtained from 1s. to 1s. 4d. each.
Few champions (in badminton 1928)
Though it is not easy to become a champion, as the comparatively small number of champion players bears witness, yet it is possible for anyone with some aptitude for sport in a short time to pick up the game sufficiently to play it enjoyably.
The court is 44ft. by 20ft. There should be a clear space of two or three feet all around it, and the roof should be 25ft. high over the centre of the net. In actual practice, however, the game is played in many halls where rafters are lower than this, and in all these cases it is often arranged to play a let when the shuttlecock in play strikes them.
Miss Lavinia Clara Radeglia
The author was a former All-England Champion and the Editor of the Badminton Gazette.
She was born in Kensington in 1879 and first played badminton at Richmond Badminton Club in 1903 (at age 24). Six years later she became an All-England Champion.
Her aim with the article in The Daily News and Westminster Gazette in 1928 was clearly to promote the sport of badminton.
Good lighting for badminton
Good artificial lighting is provided by a row of six or eight lights – electric light or incandescent gas – hanging on each side of the court about 12 or 13 feet above the floor and about two feet outside the side lines, the centre of the row of lamps being opposite the net post.
Strenuous exercise
Another advantage of badminton is the amount of exercise that can be taken at it in a short time. A single at badminton is a great deal more strenuous than a single at lawn tennis – here I would advise al’ who wish to progress rapidly at the game to get as much singles’ play as possible – and a double also calls for quickness of foot and eye and must develop powers of anticipation since they are so urgently called for.
Badminton can be played gently and without great expenditure of energy, as can lawn tennis and many other games, but played as it should be, by first class exponents, it is an exceedingly fast, athletic game calling for training and stamina, in spite of the delicacy of its weapons.
It is a favourite game with several well-known tennis players and cricketers, among the latter being Jack Hobbs and Sandham.
In England many counties have recently formed associations; an intercounty competition is taking place this season, and there are a number of league and interclub competitions arranged by the various county associations for their areas.
Convenience (of badminton in 1928)
The attraction of badminton, then, lies not only its being a convenient winter pastime, but in the merits of the game itself and in the demands it makes on mental as well as physical quickness and alertness.
A fascinating combination of speed, force and finesse is required to play the game really well, delicacy of touch being called for some strokes, while for others the player must go “all out” in an endeavour to score.
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