Nurturing the sport of badminton in Dubai. Badminton has become one of the fast-growing sports in Dubai, with many tournaments organised for all skill levels. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
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00:00With a sweltering summer heat, sports fans are looking for more indoor venues to enjoy
00:18their favorite sporting activities.
00:20Badminton, a rocket sport played by hitting a shuttlecock across a net, is one of the
00:24indoor sports gaining popularity in the Emirates.
00:27It can be played between two opposing players or as doubles match.
00:31Dubai's sports world has been a favorite venue of many badminton enthusiasts.
00:39Badminton is actually considered as one of the fastest rocket sports in the world.
00:44Just like, for example, squash and all this.
00:49The reason being is that the objective of playing the sport is always to make sure that
00:55the shuttlecock, as we call it, the feather shuttle, should not land on the floor.
01:01So you have to catch it as it flies.
01:04And how you catch it is something of a challenge.
01:06For me, it's like, you know, when you experience to hold a rocket and you try to smash it,
01:12you try to hit the shuttlecock, it's something like you will feel something like, oh, I have
01:18to, I have to, I want to play more.
01:21Experts say the sport is a total body workout with a lot of health benefits for both hobbyists
01:26and competitive players alike.
01:33It's a complete exercise.
01:34Instead of going to the gym, I go to badminton.
01:39I run before my game, I do warmups.
01:42The challenge for a badminton player is to be able to catch the shuttle from all the
01:47places, from all angles.
01:48So you have to be agile, you have to be flexible, you have to be fast.
01:52So in terms of health benefits, it's a full body workout.
01:56Aside from health benefits, badminton also has a lot more to offer.
02:00You build that kind of relationship or support system, especially if you're an expatriate
02:05coming from another country.
02:07Badminton is a good avenue for you to get that kind of community support.
02:11It's a thinking game.
02:12It's not just about running.
02:14You have to think about where you want to place the shuttlecock.
02:17And that's what I like about it, and that's what I encourage other people.
02:19I just want to see it grow, because it is a very good sport, very fun.
02:23And I think the Dubai Sports Council are promoting it in the best way now.
02:27I would like to see, personally, the Badminton Federation here in the UAE to build a gym
02:32like they have Hamdan Sports Complex, but for badminton, for racket sports.
02:36Then we can encourage not only the nationalists we can see here today, but the UAE nationals
02:41as well.
02:42As badminton gains popularity in Dubai, badminton organizers say the sport is gaining popularity
02:48among many expatriates, and they hope to attract more Emiratis to be involved in the sport
02:53as well.
02:54The most important thing about badminton here in the local setting, I think, is the grassroots
03:00development among the local population.
03:04Because as we see, badminton has never been introduced in this market.
03:09Now, with so many tournaments happening, we hope to get exposure for the sport.
03:15Badminton organizers say they want to encourage people from all walks of life, regardless
03:20of age, ability and fitness level, to play badminton as a fun way to stay physically
03:24and socially active.
03:26Irish Eden Balieza for Golf News.