Mahima Acharya and Anugya Shiwakoti show off their rackets for the badminton tournament. Photo by Casandra Anderson.

Casanda Anderson

Reporter

Stark Rec Center hosted a one-day badminton tournament for W students on Sept. 1.

Similar to tennis, badminton is played with a racket and net but uses a birdie or shuttlecock instead of a tennis ball. The objective of the sport is to use the racket to hit the birdie over the net in the hopes that the opposing player will be unable to hit it back.

This tournament marked one of the first sporting events held by The W’s intramural sports staff. Players from all ranks showcased their skills in this friendly competition, which was arranged bracket-style.

“You don’t have to be a great athlete in order to play intramurals here,” said Coach Rita Higginbotham, coordinator of intramural sports at The W.

“I’ve played with my family, but I’ve never played competitively,” said Jessie Teel, a senior and education major.

To shorten the waiting time for the winner of each individual match to start the next round, three separate games were played at one time. The competitor who won the best of three rounds won each game and advanced to the next bracket level. In some cases, competitors would win by only a point or two. Still, the event was a great opportunity for everyone to show off their sportsmanship skills and make new friends.

Several other intramural events are planned for the semester, including flag football, ping-pong, softball and dodgeball. To register for these and other events, visit www.imleagues.com/thew.