What is the oldest age to represent your country?

by Manogna
(Hyderabad, Andhrapradesh, India)

Question: What is the age limit to become a badminton player? And is it like if we start playing at the age of 22 we cannot become good players? Since a badminton player retires only after 30 and plus why can’t people above 22 be a good player either to represent his/her country or to play casually.

Answer:
Hi Manogna, thanks for your question.

There is NO age limit to play badminton. I’ve seen recreational players who are in their 60s that still play pretty well.

If you start learning badminton at the age of 22, you can potentially be a good casual player; but definitely NOT a professional player.

And yes, you are right that on average, professional badminton players (especially singles) retire at the age of 30.

Most national badminton associations do not accept new players who are above 20 years old because it’s too late to prepare them for international competitions.

Moreover, you’ll need to attend try-outs in order to join the national team. The association will test your skills and fitness.

To be honest, you must be an exceptional player in order to join the national team.

Why can’t you represent your country after age 22?

Assuming that you start learning badminton at age 22, you’ll probably take 2 years to perfect your skills.

Then, you’ll use up another 2 to 3 years to spar with teammates and learn different tactics. Next, it’ll take you another 2 years to build up your mental strength at international tournaments.

By the time you’ve gone through all of these, you are already near retirement. Your fitness starts to deteriorate.

Ideal Age for Representing Your Country

Players join the national team between 15 to 18 years of age. You will represent your country in tournaments only when your coach says you’re ready.

Usually once you join the national team, you’ll spend 1 to 3 years improving your fitness, perfecting your skills and learning new tactics.

I have a friend who is a Malaysian national player. She joined the team when she was 18. At that time, she was already a great player among her peers.

She spent 1 year full time training with the team before she was given the chance to play in tournaments.

What is the age and entry requirements to become a badminton player?

by Low Shi Ying
(Selangor)

Question: “What is the age to become a badminton player? What is need to pass to able can become a badminton player?”

Hello Shi Ying, thanks for your question.

By becoming a badminton player, do you mean playing for the national badminton team?

Casual badminton can be played by anyone at any age. Young kids as young as 5 years old or elder people at the age of 60 can play badminton.

However I assume you’re looking to play for your country. Different countries will have different rules stating the entrance requirement to become a badminton player.

Since you’re from Malaysia, I’ll try my best to answer your question. As I recalled, I’ve watched an interview by the general manager of the association, Kenny Goh, saying that the Malaysian Badminton Association starts looking for talented kids at the age of 13.

These kids will undergo badminton training until the age of 17 where the good ones will be drafted into the national team.

In order to be able to undergo badminton training at the national level, you’ll definitely need to start young because badminton players on average, retire at the age of 30.

Before being able to participate in international tournaments, you’ll need at least 1-2 years of badminton training with the national squad. However, this depends on your performance before you get to represent your country.

I know some Malaysian players who successfuly entered and represented Malaysia in several badminton events once they finished their Form 5 (year 11) examinations.

Let’s get back to your question. In my opinion, if you’re looking to get into the Malaysian badminton team, you’ll need:

• to be younger than 18 years old

• to have strong badminton basics

• to be physically fit (good stamina)

Since you’re from Selangor, it’s relatively easy for you to enquire and (maybe) register your interest at the office located at Bukit Jalil.