Known to be the second most played sport in India after cricket, the history of badminton in India suggests that the contemporary version of the game was invented in the city of Pune in the state of Maharashtra. Badminton can be well described to be a descendent of battledore, which was the bat or racket and shuttlecock were played in ancient Greece over 2000 years ago.

One of the most popular games since the medieval era, the modern version of badminton has its roots well laid in India. British Army officers posted in Pune gave badminton its present form in the 19th century and played it competitively. As the city of Pune was formerly known as Poona, the game also became known as Poona at that time. Poona was developed from the children`s game, battledore and shuttlecock.

Modern History of Badminton in India
The sport of badminton gets its name from the Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England, which was the home of the Duke of Beaufort, where the sport was played in the last century. Before that, history of badminton predates to the Indian subcontinent, where the sport was known by the name of Poona and before that there was Jeu De Volant, played on the European Continent. Going further back, the origins of badminton can be traced in China, where it was called Ti Jian Zi, the ancient art of Shuttle kicking.

Introduction of Badminton in India
Badminton was definitively launched in the year 1873, when the Duke of Beaufort hosted it at a lawn party in his residence, Badminton House, whence the game derived its modern name. The game, earlier known as `Poona` after the city in which it was first played regularly, became a pastime of the British elite. In the year 1877, the first club dedicated to badminton called the `Bath Badminton Club` was founded. This club is credited with forming and developing the primary official set of rules of the game.

Target Audience of Badminton
In India, the sport of badminton began as a recreational activity in certain elite clubs. It acquired some organization in India around the 1920s, and in a decade`s time tournaments were held at both the national and regional level. Presently, the sport of badminton in India is managed by the Badminton Association of India.

The game is now ubiquitous in India, and the country has produced several world renowned players like Prakash Padukone, Chetan Anand, Saina Nehwal, Pullela Gopichand. P. V. Sindhu and many others to name a few.