Brigade of Gurkhas restores badminton championships after a near 30-year absence
It is often said that badminton is the fastest racquet sport in the world – so it is no surprise that the sport has found a new lease of life within the Gurkha community.
The Brigade of Gurkhas Badminton Competition has made a long-awaited return; the last time the competition was held was when the Gurkhas were stationed in Hong Kong before the official handover of the former British colony to China in 1997.
But after a near 30-year absence, the tournament has been brought back to life with the first Brigade of Gurkhas Badminton Competition to be held in the UK.
Captain Joseph Stubba was the man who made the first call for the tournament to be reinstated.
"During the Hong Kong times, badminton used to be a very popular sport in the Brigade of Gurkhas," he said.
"Since the independence of Hong Kong, when Brigade of Gurkha units and cap badges moved over to the UK, it basically discontinued for some reason.
"So I just pressed the play button to try and reignite and start what was basically paused for 27-plus years."
Badminton is one of Nepal's most popular sports thanks to its low-cost accessibility in both urban and rural communities across the country.
The sport experienced a huge boom across the country during the coronavirus pandemic as it was one of very few sports that could be played whilst remaining at a social distance.
Capt Subba says that the sport can bring many fitness and health benefits to the Brigade of Gurkhas.
He said: "To play the sport and to be active physically, badminton is the sport to go to.
"It's one of the fastest racquet sports in the world, and statistics-wise, after squash, I believe, badminton is the highest calorie burner if you measure it per hour.
"So you're burning calories, you're measuring your fitness, you're becoming agile, your hand and eye coordination, so there are all different benefits to badminton, so it's very popular."
The tournament is open to players from ranging abilities, from complete novices to players who've played at the elite level.
Private Bishal Babu Khadka, of the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistics Regiment, was one of the standout players, winning the doubles alongside teammate Prashant Rai, as well as the singles tournament.
Pte Khadka previously represented Nepal on the international stage, including at the prestigious South Asian Games.
Now the top seed in Army Badminton, he hopes to one day compete on the international stage.
He said: "I was asked to represent NRN UK [Non-Resident Nepalese] at the National Championships as well.
"So in the years to come, I will train to be able to represent NRN, that's my plan."
Join Our Newsletter
