By Justin Ma, 7x US Junior National Badminton Champion.
Last updated September 10, 2024
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6 min read
Are you curious to discover where badminton is popular in the USA?
In the last 8 years of being a professional badminton player, I’ve played all over the world.
Out of all the places in the US I’ve traveled to and played at, there are 5 places that stood out the most for their love of badminton. These 5 places I like to call ‘badminton hot spots’.
You can think of these places like oases in a desert – they are pockets of excitement and enthusiasm for badminton in a country where the sport often flies under the radar.
Just like finding water in the desert, discovering these badminton hot spots can be refreshing for players and fans alike.
As a quick overview:
| # | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | Badminton is super popular in California, especially the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Many top players in the nation train here. |
| 2 | Washington State | Washington State has seen a surge in badminton popularity over the past decade, hosting the 2024 World Junior Championships. |
| 3 | Texas | Texas offers numerous badminton gyms throughout the state and frequently hosts large tournaments, such as the Frisco Open and the US Open. |
| 4 | New York City Area | The surrounding areas of NYC like Flushing, Brooklyn, and Long Island have high-quality badminton gyms. |
| 5 | Illinois | Illinois has become a key hub for badminton in the Midwest, with top coaches from around the world choosing to call Chicago their home. |
Let’s dive right in:
Picture from CBA – California Badminton Academy, California
Oh, beautiful California. It’s where I’ve played through most of my professional career.
California is by far the most popular state to play badminton in.
The Bay Area, Los Angeles Metropolitan area, and San Diego all have many clubs that you can play in.
As of 2024, there are over 150 active clubs and gyms that offer badminton to its participants. There are also many tournaments yearly that attract some of the best players across the nation, like the Dave Freeman Open and the Bay Badminton Championships, each with total purse prizes of over $25,000.
Most of the top players in the nation also train in California.
If you move to California and join your first badminton club, you’ll quickly feel the respect and love for badminton.
Picture from Northern Virginia Badminton Club, Washington State
Washington State has exploded in popularity for badminton players in the past 10 years.
There’s currently over 30 active clubs in the state, and it is growing year after year. Most recently, it hosted the 2024 World Junior Championships – the largest junior tournament in the world. Commonly, it will also host the US Junior National Championships.
If you’re looking to play in Washington State, you will have no trouble finding a gym near you. This is a state where playing badminton is extremely popular – and I love playing here as well.
Picture from Houston Badminton Center, Texas
As one of the largest states in the USA, you would expect there also to be a lot of different gyms, right?
Luckily, there are!
If you are in Texas, you are probably within 30 minutes of a badminton gym in any direction. There is also a large yearly tournament. It’s called Frisco Open. It offers a large purse prize that entices badminton players around the nation to join and compete.
Frequently, the US Open (BWF World Tour 300) is also held in Frisco.
Picture from New York Badminton Center, New York
Of course, the largest populated city in the United States must have some badminton gyms, right?
And luckily, there are too!
After all, I’m living here now – and I won’t be moving to cities that are not badminton friendly! The surrounding areas of New York City like Flushing, Brooklyn, or Long Island provide high quality gyms that players can go to.
There are plenty of places that you can play in New York, and I love it.
Picture from Midwest Badminton Club, Illinois
A recent surge has made Illinois the hot spot for badminton in the Midwest. Some of the more popular clubs include Egret Badminton Club, which just opened its 3rd location, and Midwest Badminton Club, a staple that has been there for many years.
Many of the top international coaches also choose to make Chicago their home. That’s what makes this a very attractive place if you are looking to improve your badminton game.
No matter where you end up living in the United States, you’ll be able to play badminton. If you’re super passionate about leveling up your game, you can try to move directly to one of these 5 areas, and you’ll be in for the best badminton games of your life!
I’ve tried to make the previous blog post as comprehensive as possible. However, there might still be open questions you have about finding the best places in the USA to play badminton.
Here are answers to some of the questions you might still have lingering top of mind:
The best badminton club in the USA has to be either the California Badminton Academy (CBA) in San Francisco, Bay Area – or the New York Badminton Center in New York.
I’ve played at both of these places, and I can assure you that they’re stunning – and have a big and welcoming community.
Yes, badminton has become increasingly popular in the US in recent years, according to Google Trends data.
While the interest in badminton has held steadily over the last few years, the year of 2024 has seen an unprecedented rise in popularity for the sport of badminton.
As a fun fact, the badminton interest typically peaks around July and August. This is because the weather is warm and people like to play badminton outside (even though it’s an indoor sport).
The countries where badminton is the most popular globally are China, Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, South Korea, Taiwan (playing as ‘Chinese Taipei’) and Japan.
These are the countries that consistently produce the most accomplished players. In my opinion, this is because of two reasons:
If you get the chance, feel free to travel to one of these countries and join a badminton club there for a few days. It’s a great experience, and you’ll be surprised by the respect they have for badminton – and their players!
Badminton is highly popular largely due to the success of world-class players from countries like China, Indonesia, and Malaysia – and the strong support for the sport from both the public and private sectors.
Additionally, the sport is accessible, requiring minimal equipment and space. And it fosters community interaction, often played in public spaces and schools.
Additionally, the prestige of winning international tournaments has inspired many young athletes to pursue the sport in those countries, leading to a positive cycle of competitive success and widespread popularity.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the international governing body for badminton, but it is not based in the USA.
The BWF is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
However, the USA has its own national governing body for badminton, called USA Badminton. USA Badminton works under the regulations and guidelines set by the BWF to promote and develop the sport across the United States.
