Badminton adds Africa teams

(BEIJING, July 28) -- This year eight badminton teams from Africa will take part in the Beijing Games, the most teams from that continent to compete in this event since it was added to the Olympics in 1992.

In total, six men and four women shuttlers from Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, Egypt, Seychelles, Zambia and Algeria will participate in this year's Games.

Athletes representing African countries have never won a Badminton medal, and South Africa was the only nation from the continent to compete in this event at Athens in 2004.

The increase in the number of African badminton teams participating this year is partly due to heightened interest in the sport, as well as qualification rule changes in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

At this year's Games, each nation is only allowed to enter two Badminton players or pairs, with an allowance for a third only if that player/pair is ranked in the top four in the world for that event.

The sudden appearance of eight nations from a continent previously absent from this sport at the Olympics shows the success of this rule at breaking the monopoly of badminton powerhouses like China, Malaysia and Republic of Korea, and opening the field to more competitors.

This year in Beijing, 50 nations and regions will compete in Badminton, 18 more than the 32 teams that played in Athens.

In total, 173 athletes will compete in Badminton in Men's Single, Women's Single, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles.