In badminton terms, the African continent offers very serious growth opportunities.
In North Africa, it seems that the sport of badminton is growing in Egypt, whilst in populous Sub-Saharan Africa, countries such as Kenya and Uganda in East Africa are making inroads.
At the international level as of November 2022, this is how the top African players place on the BWF Ranking top 200:
– 6 men’s singles players in the BWF Ranking top 200 (Adhem Algamal, Egypt, number 102)
– 6 women’s singles players in the BWF Ranking top 200 (Doha Hany, Egypt, number 81)
– 6 men’s doubles teams in the BWF Ranking top 200 (Algerian pair number 58)
– 7 women’s doubles teams in the BWF Ranking top 200 (Egyptian pair number 102)
– 5 mixed doubles teams in the BWF Ranking top 200 (Egyptian pair number 48)
With a population of over 1,4 billion people on the African continent, the potential to grow badminton in Africa is enormous. But so are the challenges in terms of infrastructure, coaching, and making the sport affordable. It requires a concerted and long-term effort to attract and sustain more recreational badminton players in Africa.
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State of badminton in Africa – time to look at serious growth
State of badminton in the Middle East – will the Asian diaspora help?
The world of badminton would be even more interesting with more players from the Middle East competing at the international level.
The popularity of badminton in some Middle Eastern countries has improved in recent years. There are developments going on in the region, which may help put badminton players from the Middle East on the map. For example, Dubai aims at becoming a global badminton hub, according to this message on the UAE Badminton Federation website.
In this story, we dive deeper into the state of badminton in the Middle East.
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Badminton in the Middle East – countries covered
For the purpose of this article, the following countries are considered to be part of the Middle East. They are all currently organized under the Badminton Asia umbrella.
– Bahrain
– Iran
-Iraq
– Israel
– Jordan
– Kuwait
– Lebanon
– Oman
– Palestine
– Qatar
– Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
– Syria
– United Arab Emirates (UAE), which includes Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and all other emirates
– Yemen
In badminton respect, countries such as Egypt, Turkey, and Cyprus are organized under Badminton Africa and Badminton Europe.
If BWF wants badminton to grow in MEA, change the structure
As mentioned, the Middle East region is organized under Badminton Asia. To us that does not make sense.
If BWF would like to see significant growth in the Middle East, which culturally is different from most Asian countries, a new structure is needed. One in which countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are organized under one umbrella. Badminton in the Middle East deserves focus and resources to develop the sport in the region.
Where are the badminton hotspots in the Middle East?
With UAE’s recent announcement to become a global badminton hub, it is likely that Dubai will develop into a regional hotspot for badminton.
Certainly, Dubai and neighboring Abu Dhabi already have a number of advantages. Good badminton, transportation, and communication infrastructure already exist. Add to that the significant Asian expatriate population residing in UAE. Nearly 50% of the UAE population – or around 4.5 million people – are from India, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
What’s more, the goal for UAE badminton is to qualify an Emirati player for the Olympics by 2028. This will require some heavy lifting in terms of popularizing the sport in the country – in particular amongst the 1.1 million Emiratis.
Which Middle Eastern country dominates the local badminton rankings?
The local badminton rankings are dominated by players from …..
Getting women involved with badminton in the Middle East
In many countries in the Middle East mixing men and women for sports might not be allowed.
Badminton matches in heavily air-conditioned halls
Climatically, badminton players in many countries in the Middle East might be challenged in the summer months when temperatures outside surpass 40 degrees celsius.
Who dominates sales of badminton equipment around the world?
The sale of badminton equipment such as racquets, shuttles, shoes, bags, and badminton-specific clothing seems to be increasing. But who is the market leader and will they manage to stay on top?
While a few of the badminton equipment brands are global, there are many brands that seem to focus on addressing regional markets. Yonex (Japan), Victor (Taiwan), RSL (Hong Kong), LiNing (China), Babolat (France), and, to a certain extent, FZ Forza (Denmark) seem to be the most global brands. Adidas was active and was perfectly positioned to become a real global badminton brand up until recently, but they appear to be less interested in badminton moving forward.
Other brands such as Gosen (Japan), Carlton (HQ in Malaysia), Apacs Sports (Malaysia), Cosco (India), and Silver Sports (India), seem to be mainly regional with limited global distribution.Â
The market dynamics and proportions for badminton equipment make up for an interesting study. Especially when analyzing some of the current market leaders and how they approach the market. In our opinion, no one brand is doing an exceptional job across the board.Â
In this article, we outline the basic financials and market share data of the leading badminton equipment manufacturers. If you are interested in getting the full report, get in touch with us.Â
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Racquets, shuttlecocks, or the add-ons – which generates more money?
The market for badminton racquets has an estimated value of nearly USD 900 million in 2022 with an expected CAGR of 6,7% between 2022 and 2028. This would bring the market value for badminton racquets to around USD 1.2 billion in 2028.
> If the average price of a racquet is USD 70, manufacturers sold a total of 12,8 million badminton racquets in 2022
Should badminton players train to get bigger biceps?
Biceps training or not? Understanding which parts of your body to focus on when training specifically for badminton is important. This expert article helps you understand how to deal with your biceps from a badminton training point of view.
Muscle development in badminton is not about the size of the muscle, but about strength, power, agility, and efficiency. That said, playing badminton well depends on your ability to make many muscle groups work together.
In short, you do need to do some training to strengthen your biceps, but your ultimate goal is probably not to get bigger biceps.
The biceps are also known as biceps brachii (see Wikipedia). Interestingly, it was Leonardo da Vinci who expressed the original idea of the biceps acting as a supinator in a series of annotated drawings made between 1505 and 1510.
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Is the strengthening of the biceps important for badminton players?
Are you a badminton player looking to up your game and dominate the court?
While most athletes focus on improving their speed, agility, and endurance, many overlook the importance of building muscle in key areas. But here’s the burning question: should badminton players train to get bigger biceps?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits (and potential drawbacks) of bulking up those guns and whether it’s worth incorporating bicep training into your overall badminton fitness routine.
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First of all, it’s important to note that strong biceps are beneficial when playing badminton. They help you generate more power behind your shots, and they will also help you with serve quality and consistency. In addition, having stronger biceps can give you the support needed when executing smashes. For these reasons, it makes sense to at least consider incorporating some sort of bicep training into your routine.
Of course, it’s worth mentioning that there is still a lot of debate about the role of bicep training for badminton players.
Some experts argue that bulking up your biceps too much can lead to a decrease in flexibility and range of motion – both of which are essential for badminton performance. So, if you’re planning to include strength training in your program, make sure to focus on exercises that improve mobility as well as strength. This way, you can get the most out of your workouts without putting yourself at risk of injury or overtraining one muscle group at the expense of another.
Ultimately, whether or not you should rely on bicep training as part of your badminton fitness regime is something only you can decide – it depends on a variety of factors, including your current level of strength and skill, your goals, and the time you’re willing to devote to training.
However, it’s important to remember that regardless of how big or strong your biceps are, badminton is still a skill-based sport that requires a range of physical abilities. So if you want to be the best player out there, make sure you also focus on honing your technique and developing the other crucial skills necessary for success in this dynamic game.
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How to train biceps for badminton
There are a few things to keep in mind when training biceps for badminton.
First, badminton players need to have strong grips, so exercises that strengthen the forearm and grip are important.
Second, because badminton involves quick movements and a lot of arm swinging, exercises that build endurance are key. Badminton players need to be able to generate power quickly, so exercises that focus on explosive strength are also beneficial.
One exercise that meets all of these criteria is the farmer’s walk. To do this exercise, hold a weight in each hand with your palms facing your thighs. Walk forward while keeping your shoulders down and your core engaged. You can also do this exercise with just one weight; simply hold the weight in one hand and alternate sides as you walk.
Another good exercise for training biceps for badminton is the chin-up. Grab a chin-up bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. As you lower yourself back down, resist the temptation to swing your body; instead, control your descent and use your muscles to lower yourself slowly back to the starting position.
For forearm and grip strength, try doing some Farmer’s Walks with a towel instead of weights. Simply grab each end of a towel in each hand and walk forward while maintaining tension on the towel. This exercise is also great for endurance since it mimics motion.
Badminton players need strong biceps to generate the power needed to hit the shuttlecock over the net. To train biceps for badminton, players should focus on exercises that target the biceps muscles, such as dumbbell curls and chin-ups.
In addition to working on bicep strength, badminton players should also focus on their forearm strength. Strong forearms are necessary for generating the wrist snap needed to generate speed on the shuttlecock. Exercises that target the forearm muscles, such as farmer’s walks and wrist curls, should be included in a badminton player’s training program.
Good luck with your training to become the best badminton player you can be
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How to attract and motivate volunteers at your badminton club
Most badminton clubs are completely dependent on volunteers. But how do you attract and motivate volunteers to get involved? We’ve spoken to clubs around the world. This article highlights some of the best ways to create an outstanding community of active volunteers.
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- Understand what attracts and detracts volunteers
- Are parents the best volunteers and why?
- Should you pay volunteers?
- How to make volunteering manageable long term?
- How to organize your team of volunteers effectively?
Why personal branding is key for ambitious badminton players
Creating a personal brand is a surefire way to increase the fanbase, and thereby income, of any semi-professional or professional badminton player.
In this article, sports branding expert Oliver Shepherd offers his branding advice for badminton players. Personal branding for badminton players has become a must-do activity for serious badminton athletes.
Oliver offers advice on how to get started and some of the key considerations involved with building a personal brand for badminton players.
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Badminton diet – is yours aligned with your goals?
Good nutrition can enhance your badminton performance. But what is a good badminton diet?
This article will enlighten you on how to build a nutritious and healthy diet. The diet tips you get in the following are relevant to badminton players. Not just top-level players, but players of all ages and levels.
When it comes to your badminton diet, it goes without saying that you need carbohydrates. The more intense your training is, the more carbohydrates you need to take in.
But there is so much more to a good badminton diet. And while it takes time and a bit of experimenting to find the right diet for you, the good news is that changing your dietary habits slowly will help you sooner than you know.
In a conversation with Babolat, Tom Hill, the nutrition expert from Hills Nutrition, recently said something interesting. He suggested for badminton players, and athletes in general, to “Think 24 hours before, 24 hours during, and 24 hours after exercise“. In this article, you will discover exactly why this is a smart approach and how you can apply this method.
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Facts about diets and names mentioned
- Babolat was the first company to specialize in racquet games. The first natural gut strings for racquets were invented by Pierre Babolat around 1876. Today Babolat is a well-known brand involved with badminton, tennis, and padel.
- Carbohydrates, or carbs, are sugar molecules. Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates are one of the three main nutrients found in foods and drinks. Learn more over at Harvard here