Forget football and beach volleyball, there’s a new sport on the block in Rio. It may have been met with some puzzled local faces, but badminton has won legions of new fans across the city in recent weeks, thanks to initiative by the Badminton World Federation. Hundreds of people have been introduced to the Olympic sport that is still relatively unknown in Brazil, in a series of open air events that were staged in a variety of locations, from the beaches to the inner city.

The ‘Discover Badminton’ campaign saw coaches and players take to the streets to spread the word about badminton. Courts were set up at seven spots in the city – including Rio 2016 venues Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Copacabana Beach and Flamengo Park – rackets and shuttlecocks were provided, and the public were invited to try a sport that originated in England around 1600 and made its Olympic debut at the Barcelona 1992 Games.  

“I’d seen badminton before, but only on TV, and I’d never tried it,” said Nando Cunha, an actor who happened to be passing by the event in the city centre district of Cinelândia. “When I saw it, I thought, ‘now’s my chance to try it’. And I loved it. It’s a very dynamic sport, a lot of fun to play and watch. The racket and shuttle are very light. Anyone can play.”

For one of Brazil’s leading badminton players, 18-year-old Lohaynny Vicente, the initiative could be a watershed moment. “This campaign is very good for our sport; nothing like this has ever been tried before in Brazil,” said the current world no.75. “I hope it’s a success and that people get to know more about badminton. It’s great for us, as athletes, to get this kind of feedback.”

Vicent’s older sister and doubles partner Luana (the duo are currently ranked 46th in the world) also took part in the campaign, which she hopes will result in fewer baffled looks when explaining their sport to Brazilians. “We have been playing badminton for 12 years and we still get people asking us what badminton is,” said the 20-year-old. “Now, at least in Rio, fewer people will be asking us.”

Nando Cunha tried badminton with professionals Lohaynny and Luana Vicente (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

Another member of the public who tried badminton for the first time was Thiago, a 22-year-old model. “It’s cool to discover a new sport, really fun,” he said. “We know that Brazil has variety, we’re not just about football and basketball. Badminton is really cool and could be very successful here. Who knows, Brazil may have a very talented individual who comes along and makes his mark in badminton.”

Brazil will make its Olympic debut in badminton at the Rio 2016 Games, when, as the host nation, it will have a place guaranteed in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Brazilian Paralympic badminton player Edu Oliveira, who is looking forward to the sport’s Paralympic Games debut in Tokyo in 2020, believes the Rio 2016 Games offer a great chance to boost the sport’s popularity throughout Brazil.

“The Rio Games represent a great opportunity for Brazilians to get to know badminton,” he said. “And we’re hoping that they will fall in love with it. It’s a very fast game, demanding a lot of agility. It’s a captivating sport.”

After the success of the first ‘Discover Badminton’ roadshow, the Badminton World Federation has decided to repeat the campaign at the start of 2015. Check out our photo gallery of the 2014 events below: