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Badminton

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It's a fact that would surprise many people, but badminton is the world's fastest racquet sport.

During world-class matches, the shuttlecock is belted back and forth over the net at speeds that would make even a touring car champion go weak at the knees.

Speeds of up to 260 kilometres an hour have been recorded, making agility and super-quick reflexes essential.

Badminton became an Olympic sport in Barcelona in 1992, and had an immediate impact, returning some of the highest global television ratings of any sport.

The reason for this is simple - it is huge in Asia. This popularity is reflected in results.

Since the Barcelona Games, 19 gold medals and a total of 60 medals have been awarded for badminton. Asian nations have won all but one of the gold medals on offer, and 53 of the 60 medals over four Olympics.

Nowhere on earth is badminton more popular than in China and the hosts will be hoping for a golden harvest on the badminton courts of Beijing.

Predictably, their biggest challenge will come from Indonesia - the country which has dominated badminton at Olympic level.

Other challengers will come from other Asian nations like Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam while the continental European nations - Denmark in particular - will also pose a threat.

It is perhaps not surprising that the Asian nations are so fanatical about their badminton, given that at least one thread leading to the game's origin began in China.

The very earliest versions of the game involved kicking rather than hitting the shuttlecock.

By the mid 19th century a game more closely resembling badminton - using rackets - had evolved in India.

The English army took to the game in India, registering its rules in the late 1800s. The sport was brought to England by its colonial forces in India, and it was here that badminton was given the name it carries today.

The Duke of Beauford introduced the game to English society at his estate - Badminton House - better known these days for annually hosting one of the most famous equestrian three-day events.

England formed the first national badminton association in 1893 and the International Badminton Federation (IBF) followed in 1934. Australia was not a foundation member but joined the federation in its infancy.

While the English may have been the first to formalise the game, it has enjoyed little domination - China and Indonesia between them have won 70 per cent of all IBF titles.

Of the Europeans, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands have been the major forces.