Growth in venues

The number of badminton venues has surged significantly across eight major Chinese cities, according to the 2023 badminton venue industry report released by the Guangdong-based sports venue booking platform Quyundong.

The cities are Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, Wuhan in Hubei province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and Nanjing, Jiangsu province.

By December 2023, they had a combined total of 1,689 badminton venues, representing a 34 percent increase from 1,263 venues in December 2022, the platform reported.

Despite this rapid expansion, demand still outpaces supply nationwide. Data from the General Administration of Sport in 2023 showed that the total number of badminton courts nationwide stood at approximately 277,900 — far fewer than those for basketball and table tennis. The vast majority of these courts are outdoors, with indoor courts accounting for just 13.8 percent of the total.

In Beijing, Li Yaxi is banking on the growth of the sport. Her latest badminton training center, Caijiuduolian, opened in February in the southern part of the capital, tucked inside what was once a derelict factory.

"We started with nothing but four steel columns," Li said, recalling the condition of the old factory space before her team rebuilt it into a professional-standard training venue. The center's main goal is to find and develop youth athletes, ranging in age from 6 to 15.

The facility features five professional courts, with sports flooring and wooden under structures, specialized side lighting, a gym, a recovery center, and even a rest area where students can do homework and eat between sessions.

"It's not just a business for us. There's a lot of emotion in it," she explained about her latest business venture.

"Success is measured by results. If you can take a kid and turn them into a champion, it is not only a source of pride but also a magnet for new students," she said.

The center also rents courts to amateurs when they're not in use by students to make the space more accessible to the public and help offset operating costs.

The venue hosts five to six weekly group sessions attracting 150 participants to fill off-peak slots, which Li describes as "not bad" for a new facility.

Quality the key

Her centers are also testing alternative brands and synthetic shuttlecocks despite quality trade-offs.

"The synthetic ones cost roughly the same as those made of natural feathers, but last two to three times longer in recreational play, although some senior players notice clear differences during play, such as those in the netting techniques," she said.

However, for serious players, there is no substitute for the quality of feather shuttlecocks, said Wang the sporting goods supplier. "Enthusiasts prefer high-end gear, some of which require manual work, like lacquer art for the racket design," he said.

Their preference is the premium Yonex shuttlecock, whose prices have effectively doubled. For example, the AS-05 model wholesale price has soared from 92 to 145 yuan, reaching 180-190 yuan at retail due to scarcity, he said.

Wang called on dealers and players to refrain from hoarding shuttlecocks, as it will only further increase prices and cause market chaos. He also warned that shuttlecocks start to degrade in quality after being stored for about half a year.

As a big market dealer, his company has made a point of limiting its customers' purchases to ensure broad access.

Despite potential windfalls, it's important to maintain the health of the market, he said.

Wang also urged players to destroy used shuttlecock tubes, as he has noticed how authentic packaging has been repurposed to sell counterfeit goods.

However, he remains positive about badminton's future development as a popular sport. "Even with the price hike, it might still be affordable for individual players who can share the costs," Wang said.

Despite the rising costs, Zhao, the player organizer, is relieved that many of his regular members have shown no waning passion for badminton. Quitting the sport has never crossed his own mind, he said, adding the rhythmic thwack of a shuttlecock is a form of therapy.

"After a long day at work, I don't want to talk to anyone. I just want to go to the gym, pick up a racket, and hear that sharp 'pop' of the shuttle. That's when my mind really goes quiet," he said.

Playing badminton has not only honed his skills and improved his physical strength, but gives him a social life and a sense of identity.

"I have made friends with many people who I would otherwise not have known if it weren't for badminton," he said.

Playing together, blowing off steam, team bonding, and after-match social gatherings more than compensate for the price surge, he said.

"Badminton gives me something nothing else does. It's my stress relief, my joy, my way to switch off from the world," he said.