Text: Irena Hlávková | Photo: Lukáš Duspiva
Did you know that badminton is the fastest non-motorized sport in the world? During the game, the ball reaches speeds of over 300 km/h, the world record is claimed to be 493 km/h. The ball is made from 16 goose feathers and weighs just 5 grams. We correctly say racket and ball, not bat and basket, and we pronounce the word badminton “badminton”.
China is the world power in this sport, followed by other countries on the Asian continent.
Europe is gradually trying to reach this level, but so far in vain. Badminton is simply not a long-term business in the Czech Republic or Europe.
There is a long tradition of badminton in Český Těšín. It is one of the oldest badminton clubs in the Czech Republic. This year we celebrated our 60th anniversary. One of the Czech representatives at this year’s Olympics in Paris has its roots in Český Těšín badminton club.
I first attended badminton training when I was 8 years old. After overcoming the initial stage of slapping with a simple goal – to hit and pink over the net, I fell in love with the sport and soon started to have it in my hands. It became a part of my life and accompanied me into adulthood. When I went away to college, training took a back seat, but when I returned to Těšín I was able to fully participate in the game again. The second hiatus came with the onset of maternity leave, but this period also passed. In short, no matter how many different phases of my life I go through, I always come back to badminton eventually. It is perhaps the only sport I know where grace and predation are so visibly combined, and that is what fascinates me so much about it.
As I grow older and wiser, the desire to win slowly turns into a desire to spend time moving and with good people, which badminton undoubtedly engages. Currently I am an active player of the Czechoslovak mixed team, which competes in the 3rd league. We finished last season in the final for promotion to the 2nd league, which did not go well, but this year we are trying to do it again in full force.
