about Para badminton

Para badminton is the fastest racket sport at the Paralympics where players compete in singles and doubles events hitting a shuttlecock over the net without return to score points. Players can catch opponents with clear shots, drop shots, lift shots or smashes.

Matches follow a best-of-three format, where the first player or team to reach 21 points in two games wins the match. After scores reach 19 points, a side must be two points clear of their opponent to secure the win.

Athletes are divided into six classes – four standing and two wheelchair – depending on their degree of impairment. Events include men's and women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.

The size of the court can be adapted for certain categories, such as wheelchair singles matches, where half the regular court is used. The area near the net is also not played in this instance as athletes need to switch between hitting and manoeuvring on the court.

Wheelchairs have extra wheels for balance or even a low backrest to gain extra range to make clear shots. All other athletes play full court.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the world governing body for Para badminton.

Para badminton History

Para badminton made its Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020, but the sport has been contested at the international level since the 1990s, with the first Para badminton world championships taking place in the Netherlands in 1998.

Founded in 1995 in Stoke Mandeville, England, the International Badminton Association for Disabled (IBAD) was the first governing body for Para badminton. In 2011 the sport was brought under the governance of the Badminton World Federation.

Para badminton is played in over 60 countries worldwide.

At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, 120 athletes representing 31 nations competed in 16 medal events.

DID YOU KNOW?

Competition wheelchairs incorporate a number of modifications to aid players. A low backrest is used to avoid interference with a player's movement. In addition, extra caster-wheels added to the rear of the wheelchair prevent it from overturning when the player reaches backwards to hit the shuttlecock.