The Bay Badminton Center held its tournament from May 23 to 25 at its five-month-old facility in Burlingame. United Commercial Bank provided the $20,000 prize purse, which was distributed among the 16 first and second place winners.
State Sen. Leland Yee attended the center’s grand opening in January. “He has been a great support of the club from our first planning phases,” co-owner Victor Lo said. “He supports the great health benefits as well as a community center for the neighborhood.”
Game On
Badminton is played on a rectangular court divided by a net. Two opposing players or pairs use a racquet to hit a shuttlecock over the net. A shuttlecock is an open-coned object composed of a round-tip cork covered with sheepskin or leather, and attached to 16 slightly angled feathers tied with cotton string. Since feathers create drag, it decelerates faster than a ball. Professional players use feathered shuttlecocks, while plastic ones can be used for recreational purposes.
The shuttlecock can only be struck once before it goes over the net. Players score points when the shuttlecock lands on the ground of the opponent. Games go up to 21 points. To win, a player or pair must lead by at least two points. If there is a tie at 21, the first to gain 30 points wins. Two out of three games wins a match.
After a player acquires a point, he/she serves. A rally winner with an even-numbered score will serve on the right side of the court. After a rally winner gets an odd-numbered score, he/she will serve on the left side.
