Badminton

The late British Empire left a splendid legacy which includes the Commonwealth Games. Though more a family get-together than other international athletic festivals, the 1978 Games in Edmonton, Canada will no doubt be so exciting that citizens of the Alberta capital may even temporarily forget about the Edmonton Eskimos football team. Badminton, pictured on the 30-cent stamp, and bowls are the only two sports in the Commonwealth Games that are not included in the Olympics. Badminton, which derives its name from the residence of the Duke of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, evolved in the 19th century from an ancient children's game. In the 1890's military personnel in Vancouver introduced Canadians to the pastime, but it spread to the East only after World War I. A British team toured the country in 1925, greatly increasing the popularity of the sport. Since then Canadian players have triumphed in the women's singles at the 1939 All-England Championships, and in the men's singles at the 1970 Commonwealth Games. In the relaxed early days of badminton, three, four, or even five people played on a side. The singles game was regarded as being extreme selfish. Today, by contrast, action is never suspended to enable a person to recover his strength or wind. The shuttlecock (or bird) can reach speeds of up to 110 miles an hour, although it is so light that changes in temperature and barometric pressure affect its flight. No one wins in international competition without great skill, lightning reflexes, vast endurance, and tremendous speed. The Commonwealth Games stamps were designed by Stuart Ash Toronto. The 30-cent stamp depicts badminton. Retaining the common background of horizontal silver/gray bands, the artist has added red and blue stripes to suggest a badminton court. The position of the pictograph figures stresses the idea of individual competition. The Commonwealth Games stamps were designed by Stuart Ash Toronto.