August 11, 2004 7:18 pm
Little-known sports require big effort
To Kevin Han and Howard Bach, badminton is no picnic.
Leisure activities that might be backyard, basement or state-park pursuits for most Americans are Olympic sports, contested diligently and on an international scale, for athletes such as Han and Bach.
In that regard, badminton demands the same time, work and dedication, without yielding the riches and notoriety, as the Games' glamour sports, such as gymnastics, track and field, swimming and basketball
"I'm still an Olympian, just like them," said Han, who, with doubles partner Bach, will comprise the only U.S. badminton entry in Athens. "We're all on the same team, going after the same goal, a gold medal, and representing our country. That's why everyone plays."
There's nothing recreational about the way table tennis players, archers, canoers, kayakers, mountain bikers and other athletes in attention-deprived sports, such as the United States' badminton duo, approach their Olympic endeavors.
For Han and Bach, it has required hours of practice and trips to far-flung locations to compete, such as Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and Indonesia.
The Orange County, Calif.-based tandem is seeking the United States' first badminton medal. Han was in the 1996 and 2000 Games as a singles player before teaming with former rival Bach, feeling that pooling their talents would increase their medal chances.
Part of Han's preparation includes being part of the Home Depot Olympic Employment Program, in which Olympic hopefuls work in Home Depot stores but are also involved in promotional activities.
While athletes in some sports may devote all their professional time to Olympic preparation, part of Han's routine was helping Home Depot customers choose between laminate and hardwood when redoing their floors or directing them to the nail department.
"That's the major difference between them and me," Han said. "They don't need to work. They make money in whatever sport they're playing. If you're not, that's just tough luck."
Bach said Americans would benefit from breaking out of their traditional TV-viewing habits and watching some of those out-of-the-mainstream sports.
In the case of badminton, he said, maybe they'll earn a greater appreciation for a sport that is among the most popular indoor games in Asia. Han was born and raised in China and moved to the U.S when he was 17. Bach was 3 when his family emigrated from Vietnam.
As part of more than 1,200 hours of television coverage, NBC plans to air badminton on its Bravo cable outlet, which reaches 76 million households. That'll provide unprecedented exposure for the sport in the United States and, Bach hopes, "be a step toward changing the image of badminton as a backyard, cookout sport."
NBC also plans to include other sports that don't receive much Olympic fanfare among its 122 hours of Bravo coverage, including equestrian, sailing, archery, judo and table tennis.
Badminton has roots in similar games played thousands of years ago in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. The modern version took its name from the Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England. British army officers, many having returned from being exposed to the game in India, gathered there for competition.
Asia rules now. Since badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992, all but one of 14 gold medals have been won by athletes from China, Korea or Indonesia.
Serious U.S. badminton players join clubs and gather in YMCA, high school and college gyms to play (wind renders badminton an indoor game). For most others, the sport is a barbeque break. Its inexpensive equipment and simple rules - prevent the shuttlecock from hitting the ground or sailing out of bounds, only the server scores, games to 15, you have to win by two - contribute to the ease and spontaneity with which it is played.
TV viewers seeing competitive badminton for the first time will likely be surprised by the speed of the game - the shuttlecock may travel 200 mph - and the variety of shots. In a badminton match, players may run farther and hit twice as many shots in half the time compared to those in a tennis match.
"Most Americans have played badminton, so they have some knowledge of it, but it's usually been while they were cooking out or drinking a beer," said Bach, who in the June 28 edition of People magazine was hailed as one of the country's 50 "Hottest Bachelors."
"That's somewhat of a shame because it's a great competitive sport and the Olympics are our opportunity to showcase it.''
On the Web
Badminton site has rules, regulations, how-to information.
USA Badminton site has news, team rosters.
Badminton Alley's info site for tournaments, products, training tips.
ADVERTISEMENT
RECENT HEADLINES
COMMENTARY AND PERSPECTIVE
