Badminton has been a part of the Summer Olympics since 1992. In 1972 and 1988, it was held as a demonstration sport. The 1992 Olympic Games featured men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, and women’s doubles events. Mixed doubles made its debut in the subsequent Olympics.
The Badminton World Federation is the global governing body of the sport. Teams gain an entry to the Olympics based on their rankings as published by the Badminton World Federation. 29 athletes are selected in singles, whereas 19 pairs are chosen for doubles. Each nation’s Olympic Committee can send no more than three pairs or players.
If the host nation has no eligible participant based on rankings, then they get two slots (two singles players or one doubles team) to feature their highest ranked players. Each continent should have a minimum of one pair or player. One slot in all the singles events is reserved for the Tripartite Commission.
Every discipline of badminton in Olympics is played in a single elimination format. To win a match, a team or player must secure two games. A game is won when a team or player win 21 points with a difference of two points. All points are played in the rally scoring format.
As of 2024, players from over 75 nations have been a part of badminton at the Olympics. A total of 13 nations have secured the podium finish. China is the most successful nation, having won a record 52 medals across all categories, 22 of which are gold medals. Indonesia and South Korea are the next best nations, with each nation winning a total of 22 medals. However, Indonesia has won eight gold medals, which is one more than South Korea.
Apart from men’s doubles, China has won the most medals in each category. Indonesia leads the tally in the men’s doubles category.
