AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

BADMINTON

HISTORY AND EVOLUTION

Badminton originates from an ancient game called Battledore (Bat or Paddle) and Shuttlecock at least 2,000 years ago. (The History Of Badminton, n.d.)  As the name suggests, this involves using a paddle and a shuttlecock which is hit back and forth between players. (History of Badminton, n.d.) After about 200 years (in the 1860s), “a game called Poona was played in India” (History of Badminton, n.d.) “where a net was introduced and players hit the shuttlecock across the net”. (Badminton World Federation, n.d.a) It was then brought by British Officers back to England and “was introduced as a game for the guests of the Duke of Beaufort at his stately home ‘Badminton’ in Gloucestershire, England” (Badminton World Federation, n.d.a) where it became popular among the British society’s elite. (History of Badminton, n.d.) Then, the sport became known as “the Badminton game”. (History of Badminton, n.d.) After a few years, “the Badminton Club was formed and developed the first official set of rules. (History of Badminton, n.d.)

With technology and new materials, “the construction of the equipment like court, racket, shuttle, shoes, and clothing” has also evolved. (Singh & Yogesh, 2010, p.51) As mentioned by Singh & Yogesh (2010),

“Better quality courts are used now for better grip of shoes and power cushion is used in shoes according to presser points, light weight and titanium made very powerful rackets are used now, much better aerodynamic shuttles are used in a lot of variety according to the conditions. Video technology is the most important these days for complete analysis of the skill performed by the player, video recording and analysis is very useful for improvement of the technique of skill accusation. So technology has developed lot in the game of badminton.” (p.51)

RULES, REGULATIONS AND OBJECTIVES

In brief, a badminton match “consists of best of three games of 21 points.” (Badminton World Federation, n.d.b) “The side winning a rally adds a point to its score.” (Badminton World Federation, n.d.b) In a singles game (one player versus another), “when the server’s score is even, the server serves from the right service court” and “when the server’s score is odd, the server serves from the left service court”. “If the server wins a rally, the server scores a point and then serves again from the alternate service court.” However, “if the receiver wins a rally, the receiver scores a point and becomes the new server. They serve from the appropriate service court – left if their score is odd, and right if it is even.” (Badminton World Federation, n.d.b) For a doubles game, “at the beginning of the game and when the score is even, the server serves from the right service court. When it is odd, the server serves from the left court. If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side scores a point and the same server serves again from the alternate service court. If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point. The receiving side becomes the new serving side. The players do not change their respective service courts until they win a point when their side is serving.” (Badminton World Federation, n.d.b)

TRAINING

To take part in competitive badminton, many types of training has to be done. This includes aerobic, strength, power, speed and flexibility training. (Fitness Training in Badminton, n.d.) Badminton is both an endurance-based and strength-based activity as it requires more force in quick successions (when hitting), and also to sustain this throughout the whole match. Strength and power training are involved in increasing muscle strength which will result in greater control of movement. (Fitness Training in Badminton, n.d.) Aerobic training develops the transport of oxygen and food energy to the working muscles. (Fitness Training in Badminton, n.d.) Speed training trains athletes to become naturally fast and agile, and fitness training is essential in reducing risk of injury. (Fitness Training in Badminton, n.d.)

Not only training, but a balanced diet is also required. Athletes need to have sufficient energy to perform consistently throughout the match which can be acquired from carbohydrates, fats, and protein.

Although badminton is a non-contact sport, injuries still occur. The most common injuries include sprained ankles, Achilles Tendonitis, Tennis Elbow and Rotator Cuff Injury. (Badminton Injuries Introduction, n.d.) These are likely due to “explosive power for flicks of the wrist, lunges, jumps, and rapid changes in direction”. (Badminton Injuries Introduction, n.d.)

MAJOR EVENTS AND ISSUES

There are six major international badminton events organised by the Badminton World Federation which are the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Junior Championships, Para World Championships, Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, and Sudirman Cup. (Badminton World Federation, n.d.c)

In the London 2012 Olympic Games, “eight badminton players have been charged with trying to throw their matches”. (“Olympic badminton players,” 2012) This was done in order to get an easier match-up in the knockout rounds in order to increase the number or even the likeliness of getting a medal for their country. (Peters, 2012)

SWIMMING

HISTORY AND EVOLUTION

“The Ancient Egyptians as far back as 2500BC swam for pleasure. 2,000 years later, the Greeks and Romans used swimming as part of warrior training. The Romans also listed diving into the sea from the cliffs as one of their sporting pastimes. In 1BC swimming competitions were held in Japan.” (History, n.d.) It did not truly become an “organised sport until the early 19th century.” (“Swimming Equipment and History,” n.d.) It started in Europe and mostly used the breaststroke. (History of Swimming, n.d.) Other strokes such as “the front crawl, then called the trudgen, was introduced” later, after about 60 years. (History of Swimming, n.d.) It also became part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. (History of Swimming, n.d.)

Because swimming is one of the sports where the difference between coming first and second is “measured in milliseconds,” (Baker, 2004) many athletes have been dependent on the most advanced equipment to gain competitive advantage. An example would be NASA’s collaboration with Speedo in order to produce the LZR Racer swimsuit. (Dunbar, 2012) Through research, it has improved flight efficiency in fluid dynamics which resulted in reduced drag by about 6 per cent. (Dunbar, 2012) It was the first fully-bonded, full-body swimsuit with ultrasonically welded seams. (Dunbar, 2012) “Within a month, athletes wearing the suit broke 13 world records.” (Dunbar, 2012) Not only are there advancements in swimsuit technology but also in video recording. Underwater cameras have been aiding athletes in analysing strokes, positions, speed, etc. while swimming. It also covers many angles around the swimmer which can be reviewed at any time.

RULES, REGULATIONS AND OBJECTIVES

As outlined by the Federation Internationale de Natation (from now referred to as FINA), which is an international federation that organises water sports, (National Federations, n.d.) the following are some of the rules and regulations in swimming competitions. In all races, events must be held by gender. (SW 10 The Race, n.d.) “The swimmer must remain and finish the race in the same lane in which he/she started.” (SW 10 The Race, n.d.) Physical contact must be made with the end of the pool or course, and strides or steps from the bottom of the pool are not permitted. (SW 10 The Race, n.d.) Swimmers must swim the specific length outlined by the competition (i.e. 100m) and the specific stroke (i.e. butterfly or freestyle) in the shortest amount of time.

TRAINING

Most swimmers specialise in one or two strokes “including freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly.” (Turnbull, 2014) However, “some swimmers train specifically for medley events which include all four strokes.” (Turnbull, 2014) Because races have a very wide range of distances, from 50m sprints to 88km in a single leg race, (Trent, n.d.) different training combinations are required to prepare for competition. Also, depending on the distance of the races, swimming can either be considered strength-based or endurance-based activity. In sprints, a great amount of force is required in a very short period of time (about 20 seconds) (Turnbull, 2014), making it a strength-based activity. However, in long-distance swimming, the energy required would have to be sustained for a long period of time, making it an endurance-based activity.

In training for competitions such as the Olympic Games, athletes and their coaches need to plan a training regime which would result in peaking during the event. (Planning the Training, n.d.) This means ensuring that the athlete is at his best during the competition and not before or after it. Both required for sprints and long-distance swimming are strength and flexibility training. (Planning the Training, n.d.) Strength training, not only in the pool, is also suggested for swimmers. However, they should replicate the actions in water as closely as possible, which includes arm pulls and leg kicks. (Planning the Training, n.d.) Flexibility training is also vital in conditioning the body to decrease the risk of injuries. (Planning the Training, n.d.)

During competitions, athletes train day and night, which affects their meals. (Turnbull, 2014) Thus, snacks and meals, and its times must be planned in advance in order to provide sufficient nutrition and energy to the athlete. (Turnbull, 2014) Fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates (such as bread, rice and starchy vegetables), dairy, protein-rich food, and healthy fats (including vegetable oils, nuts and avocados) are suggested by nutritionists. (Turnbull, 2014)

As most swimming races are indoors, many athletes compete year-round and thus, “putting joints through extreme repetitive motion”. (Preventing Swimming Injuries, n.d.) Depending on the stroke, “most swimming injuries affect the shoulders, knees, hips, or back”. (Preventing Swimming Injuries, n.d.) The most common swimming injuries are “Swimmer’s Shoulder” and lower body injuries. (Preventing Swimming Injuries, n.d.)

MAJOR EVENTS AND ISSUES

With thousands of events each year, the major swimming events include the Olympic Games, World Aquatics Championship, World Championships, World Open Water Championships, World Junior Championships, World Masters Championships, and World Cup. (“FINA Calendar,” n.d.)

In the major event of the Olympic Games, doping has been a main issue for swimmers. (Clarey & Crouse, 2016) With “nearly 100 positives found in the Beijing and London Games,” and “the state-sponsored doping” by Russia during the 2014 Winter Games, athletes with histories on doping are being directly confronted as friction between athletes is seen in the Rio Olympics. (Clarey & Crouse, 2016)

SPORTS AND EXERCISE WITH ENGINEERING AND COMMERCE

With the goal of specialising in Biomedical Engineering, and majoring in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Sports and Exercise is a perfect medium on which to apply those degrees. Many innovations have been produced during the past couple of years especially in the field of bio-engineering which have not been possible before. Using the engineering and commerce background, one can make a business or even a research facility that produces or analyses innovations on machinery that aids people with sport and exercise-related injuries such as advancements in prosthetic technology.

REFERENCES

Badminton Injuries Introduction (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.physioroom.com/sports/badminton/1_badminton_injuries.php

Badminton World Federation (n.d.a). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14887

Badminton World Federation (n.d.b). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14914

Badminton World Federation (n.d.c). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=14904

Baker, L. (2004). New swimsuit technology developed at UB introduced at World Cup Meet. Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2004/01/6562.html

Clarey, C., & Crouse, K. (2016). In the Olympic pool, contempt for drug cheats rises to the surface. Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/10/sports/olympics/doping-swimming-russia-lilly-king-yulia-efimova.html?_r=0

Dunbar, B. (2012). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from https://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/tech_record_breaking.html#.V7-HupiF7IU

FINA Calendar | fina.org - Official FINA website. (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.fina.org/calendar

Fitness Training in Badminton (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.badminton-zagreb.hr/UserDocsImages/fitness%20trening%20u%20badmintonu%20England.pdf

History (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from https://www.swimming.org.nz/history.html

History of Badminton (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.badminton-information.com/history-of-badminton.html

History of Swimming (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://rsc03.net/Swimming.html

National federations (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.fina.org/national-federations

Olympic badminton players charged with trying to lose their games (2012). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/01/olympic-badminton-players-charged-lose

Peters, J. (2012). Why were those olympic badminton players trying to lose? And why is the sport so dirty? Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/fivering_circus/2012/08/badminton_scandal_olympics_2012_why_were_those_olympic_badminton_players_trying_to_lose_and_why_is_the_sport_so_dirty_.html

Planning the Training (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from https://www.brianmac.co.uk/swimming/swimplan.htm

Preventing Swimming Injuries (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/STOP/Prevent_Injuries/Swimming_Injury_Prevention.aspx

Singh, G., & Yogesh (2010). Technology and badminton. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 44 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2010.078725.170

SW 10 The Race (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.fina.org/content/sw-10-race

Swimming Equipment and History - Olympic Sport History (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from https://www.olympic.org/swimming-equipment-and-history

The History Of Badminton. Where Badminton Started. (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://www.athleticscholarships.net/history-of-badminton.htm

Trent, J. (n.d.). Top 5 longest open water swim races. Retrieved August 25, 2016, from http://sports-facts.top5.com/top-5-longest-open-water-swim-races/

Turnbull, C. (2014). Swimming. Retrieved August 26, 2016, from http://www.autmillennium.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/SWIMMING.pdf