Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine how the role as well as way of existence of The Badminton
Association （hereafter referred to as the BA）, the first association of badminton in the history, was
transformed in the period of 1893‒1934, since the establishment of BA until the establishment of International
Badminton Federation. It also examines the transition of its international functions, for
which the former had been responsible, to the latter.
The result of this study is summarized as follows.
The BA was established in 1893 by the badminton clubs in the South West England for the purpose
of standardizing the rules set by each club and promoting the game. It increased the number
of its affiliated organizations by activating badminton under the Laws of Badminton. Within England,
local spontaneous activities were boosted and led the autonomous clubs to affiliate with the BA
through its county associations. This brought the BA to establish its substantial role as a national
organization within England. In 1921, the BA established its Regulations for the County Associations
and clarified its federating structure as a national organization in England.
On the other hand, the BA also expanded its affiliated organizations beyond England. In the early
days of the BA federation, the interactions beyond borders of nations initially existed through
personal networks. In 1899, the Ireland Badminton Union （hereafter referred to as IBU） was established
as a national organization which could set its bye-laws in compliance with the Laws of
Badminton and the Regulations of the Badminton Association. Through this establishment, international
matches were organized from 1903; however, these matches were limited to being organized
within the British Isles until the 1920s. In the late 1920s, other national organizations came to be
established outside the British Isles and the international activities were conducted under the jurisdiction
of the BA. Hence, the BA had substantially undertaken the role of an international organization.
With expanding domestic activities within England as well as increased international exchanges,
with qualitative changes in its affiliated organizations, and also with quantitative alternation of its
affiliations in numbers and areas, the BA, under its dual roles as a national association of England
as well as an internationally operating organization, had expanded each of its functions. In dealing
with obstacles and discontents that arose in its federation, the BA had solved these by amending the
Regulations of the Badminton Association in order to adjust appropriately to the actual situations.
As a result, the BA itself found that it was no longer “an association” that connected its affiliated
organizations under its initial “purposes.” Therefore, the BA clearly stated in its Regulations reflecting
its actual operations.
As described above, the BA, which was initially established to standardize the Laws of Badminton
and to widely promote badminton, had transformed itself into an organization inhering two roles of
a national organizing body within England, as well as an international federating organization, following
the widely promotion of badminton under the Laws of Badminton.
