Badminton

L.A. a popular national championships site

Long popular with the Asian populations in Southern California, Badminton joined the Olympic Games program in 1992 in Barcelona. The Sports Council helped to popularize the sports in the area in 1990, 1991 and 1992 when the Yonex U.S. Open Championships was held at UC Irvine's Bren Center.

The current president of USA Badminton, the national governing body for the sports in the United States, is Orange County businessman Don Chew.

Links

• Southern California Badminton

Quick Facts

• The importance of the Southern California area in the Badminton world was underscored when the International Badminton Federation elected to open its first office outside its headquarters in this area. The office is slated to open late in 2003.

• Badminton's popularity in the area has a long history, dating back to at least the 1920s when it had a following among the Hollywood set. The Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce held U.S. national championships in the sport in the 1920s and 1930s.
  

• The success of the U.S. Open Championships at the Bren Center was not forgotten when it came time for Los Angeles to bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. The Bren Center at UC Irvine was proposed as the site once again.