[Saba Sports News] Recently, Hendra Setiawan and Mathias Boe have been recruited by the Badminton World Federation to promote outdoor sand badminton. In a video, they introduce the advantages of sand badminton and urge fans to actively participate in this emerging sport. In fact, as early as 2020, the Badminton World Federation partnered with the Chinese Badminton Association to launch the outdoor badminton initiative, naming it ‘Airbadminton.’ The aim is to find an effective, practical, and sustainable way to encourage more enthusiasts to participate in badminton in various locations.
To support this new type of sport, the Badminton World Federation has also introduced a special shuttlecock designed for outdoor badminton — the Air Shuttle. Whether on hard courts, grass, or sand, as well as in parks, gardens, streets, playgrounds, and beaches worldwide, these locations are suitable for playing badminton.
According to Hendra and Mathias, the Air Shuttle has four major advantages: first, a flight trajectory, hitting sound, and striking feel similar to traditional shuttlecocks; second, comparable flight characteristics that are less sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity; third, minimal impact from headwinds, tailwinds, and crosswinds, allowing use in wind speeds of up to 12 kilometers per hour; and fourth, good durability and low production costs.
In the editor’s view, the biggest issue facing outdoor badminton is safety. Sand courts can have hollows or bumps, and athletes may be at risk of injury due to the lack of protective professional flooring.