BADMINTON is one of the most played sports in the United Kingdom, with over a million of us taking to the court each month.

Its origins can be traced back thousands of years though it was not formalised into the game we know today until the 19th century.

In England a children’s game known as “battledore and shuttlecock” in which players used a paddle - a battledore - to keep a small feathered cork - a shuttlecock - in the air as long as possible - was popular from medieval times.

In the 17th century, Battledore or Jeu de Volant was an upper class pastime in many European countries.

Versions of the game had been played for centuries by children in the Far East, and were adapted by British Army officers stationed in Pune (or Poona), India in the 1860s.

In 1873 the sport made its way back to England and gained its current title after guests at a Badminton House lawn party held by the Duke of Beaufort introduced it to their friends as “the Badminton game”.

A national organising body followed 16 years later with the setting up of the Badminton Federation of England, which in 1899 held the first All England Championships.

Badminton’s popularity grew dramatically in the 20th century and it soon became a major racquet sport worldwide with the establishment of the International Badminton Federation in 1934. The Bolton Badminton League was established in the 1940s and began its life as part of the Bolton Sunday School Federation with matches being played in local church halls.

Bolton badminton players Alan Edgley, Roger Taylor, Bill Hamblett, Chris Hunt, Hazel Johnson, Bridget Cooper, Pauline Reddy, Dave Clarke and W.G.P Birtwistle are all included as Bolton Sports Heroes on the Spirit of Sport Trophy at the round-about at the entrance to the Bolton Arena.