product description
There are very different views in the literature on sports history on how far back in history one has to go to find the beginnings of the game with a feathered ball. The author's aim is to show the development of the game into a competitive sport using exhibits, pictures and sports equipment from her own private collection.
It presents a chronology that describes the game of badminton in steps of the century up to the 19th century and then at shorter intervals. The many illustrations create a lively, colorful and narrative book that shows the importance of the game in different eras, in different social classes, countries and cultures.
Badminton as a competitive sport began in England at the end of the 19th century, spread throughout Europe and reached Germany in the early 1950s. The hosting of major tournaments, including European and World Championships and the Olympic Games, is associated with the names of successful athletes, but also with people who have influenced the development of this sport.
The development of rackets and balls in the different periods is presented using examples. But art, kitsch and junk are also taken into account in the respective eras. It is clear that playing with the shuttlecock is taken up in various areas of everyday life and thus finds its way into people's lives. The book is therefore not only interesting for sports-loving badminton players, but also for anyone who is interested in badminton beyond the competitive sport.
The author
Helga Maywald (1949) was a sports teacher and active badminton player.
She was initially trained by Siegfried Maywald, sports director of the German Badminton Association, lecturer, trainer and author, as well as father of her husband Roland Maywald, a nationally and internationally successful German badminton player.
She discovered her passion for collecting badminton exhibits and memorabilia at an early age. Her holidays at home and abroad also included regular visits to antique shops, antiquarian bookshops, art and flea markets. Together with her husband and children, who were also successful badminton players, she collected badminton exhibits from several centuries over more than 40 years.
With intensive research on each individual collectible, the author developed the idea of not only displaying the exhibits and memorabilia in a museum, but also incorporating them into a presentation of the history of the game.
Developed by and for athletes
