Scotland, with a population of around five and a half million, has a rich badminton history and recently turned 110. Read to find out more about this major milestone.
Officially established in 1911, Badminton Scotland reached 110 years old this month and thus has the honour of being in the supercentenarian club. In celebration, Badminton Scotland created a video featuring members of their community from up and down the country who sent in clips of them playing the sport they love.
Frank Turnbull, President of Badminton Scotland could not be prouder of this landmark celebration and especially how everyone is dealing with the current challenges.
-It’s an honour to be President of Badminton Scotland at any time, but especially for such a big anniversary. The last year has been challenging to say the least, but everyone involved with the organisation has responded very well, adapting to changing circumstances and excelling.
Scottish surprises
Much has been made of the famed Scottish underdog spirit in sport and in badminton, this has certainly been showcased with some recent standout performances. Scotland’s female players won bronze at the 2020 European Women’s Team Championships for the first time and not only did they qualify for the 2021 European Mixed Team Championships finals, defeating the seeded Spanish team, but they also pushed the eventual champions Denmark all the way to the last game of the last match.
-I’m looking forward to seeing what the future brings and playing my part in developing badminton in Scotland in the coming years, Turnbull adds.
Long history
Badminton Scotland is one of the oldest badminton governing bodies in the world and has enjoyed a long history of success. Keith Russell, CEO of Badminton Scotland discusses their major triumphs throughout these years.
-It doesn’t seem so long ago that we were celebrating our centenary year, but in the 10 years that have passed since then, we have continued to excel. Among other achievements our athletes have qualified for the Olympic Games and won various European and Commonwealth medals, we have restructured and streamlined the organisation to meet the changing needs of our stakeholders and of course, we staged one of the most memorable World Championships [Glasgow 2017] in recent history.
Badminton Europe was founded in 1967 under the name ‘European Badminton Union’. Both Scotland and Wales indicated their approval of the formation of the Union and in the following year were elected, which brought the membership up to 16 nations.
The last year has been extremely challenging for all Members and Russell believes that they can continue growing stronger.
-I am proud of how our staff, officials and volunteers have responded and I’m confident that we have the right people in place to keep developing the sport in Scotland for future generations.
For more information about Badminton Scotland, click here.