Sports

The OU Badminton Club is one of the most active in the state, with anywhere between 40-60 members annually. Photo courtesy OU Badminton Club

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TO GET A BADMINTON EQUIPMENT BREAKDOWN, VISIT OKMAG.COM/ BADMINTON.

Nothin’ Bad About It

Badminton brings players together from a variety of backgrounds.

One of the greatest challenges of maintaining a club sports program at a university is continuity, considering every year a new batch of potential members comes on to campus while another departs. For the University of Oklahoma club badminton program, the challenge is no di erent, save for one exception: Shawn Lam. Lam, who has been involved in the sport for more than three decades, is the sta advisor of the club at OU, and remains an unchanging foundation for the program. “I’ve been playing the sport for over 30 years,” he says. “I started like everyone else, having fun, and then I was on the high school team for a year when I was in Hong Kong. After coming to the United States for my college degree and beyond, I played on the OU team or any other places with local badminton tournaments.” ere are a number of reasons to get involved in the sport. A ordability can be a challenge due to equipment, but for the most part, the sport is accessible. “We welcome all students to join,” says Lam. “For the club, it’s not expensive to join. We only charge the minimum because it’s all volunteers running the club. e main expense with badminton is the feather shuttlecock. ey are quite expensive and they are very fragile.” e OU club was started in the 1980s and has a regular membership of 40-60 students per year. e sport itself has a culture of respect and thoughtfulness, says Lam. Because badminton is more popular internationally than it is in the U.S. and Oklahoma speci cally, the sport attracts a wide range of people.

“ e culture is respectful and treats people equally,” says Lam. “Any race, any background.” e OU club is currently in a state of maintaining the status quo due to challenges associated with the pandemic, as well as a lack of volunteers, but there are still opportunities for Oklahomans to get involved in the sport, and support them should new clubs need it.

Happening in October, the Oklahoma Senior Games includes a badminton event.

“We continue to support our communities,” says Lam. “I’ve been helping Oklahoma Senior Sports to host their Senior Games every year. I enjoy doing those, and I see our grayhaired generation come out and do exercise; I support that 100% from my heart.” LUKE REYNOLDS

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