SHUTTLECOCK GAMES

OF THE WORLD

Hello! My name is Rex Haggett,

I live in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

My e-mail address is: 106232.1631@compuserve.com

I have the somewhat unusual hobby of researching the history of "Shuttlecock Games" and the collection of relevant pictures and shuttlecocks with which to illustrate the subject.

Relevant pictures can take many forms but, as is to be expected, the majority are to be found on paper.

"Paper items" can include - ancient or modern: cigarette and other trade cards*. greetings cards, jig saw puzzles, lottery tickets, photographs, picture postcards, postage stamps and postmarks, prints, vignettes etc.

"Non paper items" embrace such artefacts as: fans, plates and other ceramics, tins, plus the latest collectible - plastic telephone cards.

I think it is true to say that, in most people's minds, a shuttlecock is associated with the sport of "Badminton", so it must come as a surprise to learn that there are many different shuttlecock based games currently played in the world today. In addition there are others which, not having stood the test of time, have been relegated to the history books.

Sadly however it must be said that, in recent years, there has been a marked decline in many of the long established shuttlecock games. This is partly because their survival during the 20th century has been left to the children who, quite frankly, prefer computer games and the like to the "old fashioned" games of their parents.

However, all is not lost, because some of the older games have been updated and are now thriving as adult sports. How has this come about?

The main reason is the introduction of a net to separate opposing players. This has had the effect of turning children's games into adult sports controlled by governing bodies who have laid down structured rules for the control of the new sports. The prime example of this could be the transformation of the centuries old game of Battledore and Shuttlecock into the current Olympic sport of Badminton. [Please read the histories of both games and make up your own mind.] Two other notable 20th century upgrades are China's 2,000 year old game of "Kicking the Shuttlecock" and Brazil's ancient palm of the hand shuttlecock game. "Petecada" which has now become the athletic and popular sport of "Peteca".

I expect by now you are wondering what other games are, or were, played with a shuttlecock, so there follows an index of known "Shuttlecock Games". If you are aware of any omissions, or have additional information, the author would be only too pleased to hear from you.