Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 18, 1993 TAG: 9307180095
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Norton is the president of Louisville Badminton Supply, the largest supplier of badminton equipment in the United States. He's in town this weekend for the Commonwealth Games of Virginia.
At Carter Athletic Center, the badminton venue, Norton set up his traveling display of specialized shoes, books, rackets (up to $150 each), shuttlecocks, string, grip tape and wrist bands.
And T-shirts: "Badminton: Fastest Game In Town," "Badminton Is An Olympic Sport," "Badminton Is Tougher."
"Something went wrong when the game came to this country," said Norton, who is a 40-year veteran of the sport. "It was marketed as a backyard, picnic-type game. But the game can't be played outdoors. Americans have never seen it played properly."
Norton said business is going well, but the "real market is still anywhere outside of the U.S."
"The sport is so strong in the rest of the world, especially Southeast Asia," he said. "In places like China, Japan, Malaysia, it's the national sport. Everybody plays.
"They have 20,000-seat arenas for badminton, like we have for basketball. You can't get tickets for a game in India, where they sell out a year in advance. You open up the sports pages in Singapore and there's a badminton player.
"It's such a unique game. It's so challenging and demanding. The bird travels up to 200 miles per hour, whereas a tennis ball travels at a max of 125. It's a powerful, hard-hitting game, but there's also an element of finesse and deception."
Norton said he hopes that badminton will become a credible sport in much the same way that volleyball has surged in popularity. He raved about the wide appeal of the sport and said the key is introducing it to American children in schools.
by CNB