Badminton coming back to life

The racquet sport of badminton is set to make a comeback in the Cook Islands with a come and have a go day organised for Friday, February 3.

Sports enthusiast Hugh Graham, also the president of the Cook Islands Volleyball Association, is buzzing with excitement over the revival of the sport.

The public is invited to give the sport of badminton a go next Friday. Those that are interested can play a role in growing the sport starting with being on the committee to set up regular tournaments and development programmes.

Badminton in the Cook Islands was last associated with the international badminton body in early 2000.

According to Graham and his brother Robert Graham of CISNOC badminton was a regular sport in the Cook Islands back in the 80s.

In fact, the brothers remember the sport being part of the physical education curriculum when they attended Tereora College and it was one of the many sports students contested as part of the traditional inter-house sports competition at the national college.

Graham bought badminton equipment on his recent trip to China and will donate it to the badminton association when the body is formally established.

For now the call is going out to all sporting enthusiasts on the island to get behind this new code and give it a go next Friday.

Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles) much like tennis.

Players score points by striking a shuttlecock (a feathered projectile in place of a ball) with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents half of the court.

Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net. A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the floor.

For more details or to show your support for the re-establishment of the code contact Hugh Graham.