CHAPTER - I INTRODUCTION. Sports play a very prominent role in the modern society. It. is important to an individual, a group, a nation and indeed the

Transcription

1 CHAPTER - I INTRODUCTION Sports play a very prominent role in the modern society. It is important to an individual, a group, a nation and indeed the world. The world of sport has a popular appeal among people of all ages and both sexes. Much of the attraction of sports comes from the wide variety of experience and feelings that ranges from participation, joy, success, failure, exhaustion, pain, relief and a feeling of belongingness. Sports can bring money, glory, status and good will; sports can also bring tragedy, grief and even death. Human movement is a related scientific discipline that studies human movement in all contexts including that of sport. The study of Sport Science traditionally incorporates areas of physiology, psychology, motor control and biomechanics. It also includes other discipline such as nutrition and diet, sports technology, anthropometry, kinanthropometry, and performance analysis. Sports scientists and performance consultants are growing in demand with the ever-increasing focus within the sporting world on achieving the best results possible. Through the study of science and sport, researchers have developed a greater understanding on how the human body reacts to

2 Introduction 2 exercise, training, different environments and many other stimuli. BADMINTON Badminton was invented long ago; a form of sport played in ancient Greece and Egypt. Badminton came from a child's game called battledore and shuttlecock, in which two players hit a feathered shuttlecock back and forth with tiny rackets. The game was called "POONA" in India during the 18th Century and the British Army Officers who stationed there took the Indian version back to England in the 1860's. The army men introduced this game to their friends. But this new sport was launched at a party given in 1873 by the Duke of Beaufort at his country place, "Badminton" in Gloucestershire. During that time, the game had no name, but it was referred to as "The Game of Badminton," and, thereafter, Badminton became its official name. Until 1887 the sport was played in England under the rules that prevailed in India. They were, from the English viewpoint, somewhat contradictory and confusing. Since a small army of badminton players had been recruited, a group formed itself into the Bath Badminton Club, standardized the rules and made the game applicable to English ideas and the basic regulations; drawn up in 1887, still guide the sport. In 1895,

3 Introduction 3 the Badminton Association (of England) was formed to take over the authority of the Bath Badminton Club, and the new group made rules, which now govern the game throughout the world. Badminton quickly spread from England to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and made big strides in Europe. Although men first played it, women became enthusiastic about it and interest now is almost equally divided. The first All-England championship for men was held in 1899 and in 1900 the pioneer tournament for women was arranged. These, however, were regarded as "unofficial" and 1904 marked the beginning of the official All-England matches. The growth of badminton's popularity in the British Isles is evidenced by the fact that in 1920 there were 300 badminton clubs in England, about 500 in 1930, and over 9,000 in the British Isles soon after the World War II. In 1934, the International Badminton Federation (IBF) was formed with nine members - Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Membership grew steadily year after year. It became the sport's sole international governing body in The International Badminton Federation (IBF) decided in March 1939, that the time had arrived for the inauguration of international competition. Its president, Sir George A. Thomas, Baronet,

4 Introduction 4 offered a trophy for the winning team. The war and post-war shortages of shuttlecocks delayed the first Thomas Cup matches until the seasons. The idea of the women's international team badminton championship along the lines of the Thomas Cup was broached in It was turned down then because of financial problems. The topic continued to be brought up and eventually it was decided to establish the tournament on a triennial basis. Mrs. H. S. Uber of England donated the trophy, which is called the Uber Cup. The first tournament was held during the season. Since then, the number of world events has increased to seven, with the addition of the Uber Cup (ladies' team), World Championships, Sudirman Cup (mixed team), World Juniors, World Grand Prix Finals and the World Cup. Badminton was first contested as an official Olympic sport at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. Badminton is a game that somewhat resembles tennis and volleyball and involves the use of a net, lightweight rackets, and a shuttlecock, a cork ball fitted with stabilizing feathers. It is played by two or four players, either indoors or outdoors, on a marked-out area 44 ft (13.41 m) long by 17 ft (5.18 m) wide for the two-player game and 20 ft (6.10 m) wide for the four-player game. A net is fixed across the middle of the court, with the top

5 Introduction 5 edge of the net set to a height of 5 ft (1.52 m) from the ground at the center and 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) at the posts. The players hit the shuttlecock back and forth over the net with the rackets. ANTHROPOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS Anthropometry is the science that deals with the measurement of size, weight, and proportions of the human body, as body size and proportions, physique, and body composition are important factors in physical performance and fitness. A standard anthropometrical analysis during a physical fitness assessment would involve determining the height, mass, somatotype and body fat percentage of an individual or athlete (Maud and Foster, 1995). Anthropometric measurements relevant to human movement gained formal recognition as a discipline with the inauguration of the International Society for Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) in Anthropometrists from all continents have participated in several major multidisciplinary studies that are being or have been conducted to assess the physical characteristics of people. Kinanthropometry has been defined as the quantitative interface between human structure and function. (Ross, Drinkwater, Bailey, Marshall & Leahy, 1980). This interface is examined through the measurement and analysis of age, body size, shape, proportion, composition and

6 Introduction 6 maturity as they relate to gross body function. Previous reports have shown that body structure and morphological characteristics are important determinants of performance in many sports and certain physical impressions such as body composition (body fat, body mass, muscle mass) and physique (somatotype) can significantly influence athletic performance (Carter, 1970; Duquet & Carter, 2001). Body composition is an important aspect of fitness (Reilly et al., 1990), and can be predicted from anthropometric measures (Maud & Foster, 1995). Body fat percentage is a key component of an individual s health and physical fitness profile (Heyward, 1998). It is an important aspect of fitness as superfluous body fat acts as dead weight in activities where body mass must be lifted repeatedly against gravity in movement during exercise (Reilly et al., 1990). A high percentage body fat is detrimental in terms of performance as fat cells are not the primary source of energy production, yet energy is required to move the excess mass around the court (Elliot et al., 1989; Chin et al., 1995). The anthropometrical studies reports have shown that body structure and morphological characteristics can determine the selection of participants in many sports. Results of cross-sectional anthropometric studies have tended

7 Introduction 7 to suggest that certain physical factors including body composition (body fat, body mass, muscle mass) and physique (somatotype) significantly influence athletic performance (Carter, 1984). PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness (a state of health and well-being), and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). Physical fitness is generally achieved through correct nutrition, exercise, and enough rest. In previous years, fitness was commonly defined as the capacity to carry out the day s activities without undue fatigue. However, as automation increased leisure time, changes in lifestyles following the industrial revolution rendered this definition insufficient. In current contexts, physical fitness is considered a measure of the body s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations. Badminton is a popular fast-paced indoor sport. To be successful in badminton one need excellent court speed and agility, with a good background of endurance. The fitness training for Badminton should focus on speed, agility and endurance, with strength and flexibility as important factor. It is

8 Introduction 8 highly important for badminton players to be tough both mentally and physically. Other than having speed, agility and sharp skills, a player needs to have the physical toughness as well. Without physical fitness, players would not be able to win a competition or have an edge to win their opponents because players will have difficulties maintaining the performance of every tournament. Physical toughness can be categorized in two aspects, namely strength and endurance. It can benefit players such as allowing the player to stay on the court for a longer period. Endurance and stamina plays an important role for players to stay longer in the game. Without stamina, players will run out of breath easily in a long rally game. Once a player is exhausted, his/her opponent will be more confident to win the game because it is harder to beat a fresh player. A player needs to be tough physically in order to stay fresh on the court all the time With the physical toughness, the strength of the player can be increased. The strength and power are inter-related factors. Here the strength is referred to the power of the hand and the legs in order to produce more powerful shots. Powerful smashes should be produce by a strong upper body such as the shoulder, wrist, chest and also a strong lower body. Other than

9 Introduction 9 that, leg strength is also important for badminton players. Badminton players need to have strong legs in order to produce a better and faster footwork. A player s legs will be worn out if he or she doesn't have the strength regardless of having a good stamina. Many sports require a generation of high forces and power outputs (Reilly et al., 1990). It is the muscles ability to develop tension that forms the basis for all types of movement in sport (Omosegaard, 1996). Omosegaard (1996) was able to measure the velocities and accelerations that are typical of each stage of play in Badminton by analysis of high- speed camera recordings. It was found that the acceleration during braking and pushoffs is due to muscle power, and that footwork at the playing centre and hitting the shuttle required muscle strength, while movements to and from the shuttle required speed. The repeated push- offs in the corners and playing centre put a big demand on a specific kind of dynamic endurance. Eccentric strength is also important as it is involved in braking when landing and in pushing-off towards the playing centre. Badminton at the highest level places a great demand on leg and back strength, leg endurance as well as explosive power.

10 Introduction 10 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS Physiology is the study of tissue and functions of living things and Sports physiology would be the study of how the body works and functions during athletic activities. The game badminton is combination of both aerobic and anaerobic in nature. A well conditioned heart and an efficient respiratory system are essential for high levels of aerobic fitness, as it means that the systems will be able to adjust and recover quicker from the effects of exercise and work. Aerobic fitness can be influenced by factors such as heredity, training, age, gender and body fat (Sharkey, 1997), as well as heart size and red blood cell concentration (Noble, 1986). It has been established that 93% of an individual s aerobic power is due to genetic influences, and that, although aerobic power is trainable, there is a genetic ceiling on improvement (Noble, 1986), namely between 5-30% (Withers et al.,2000). Elite badminton players require a combination of aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, and the involvement of these systems depend on the intensity of the rally and the duration of the match (Dewney & Brodie, 1980). According to Reilly et al. (1990), badminton players are engaged in rallies for approximately half of the playing time. The average work: rest

11 Introduction 11 ratio of badminton is 1:1 (Omosegaard, 1996), which is the same as that of squash (Montpetit, 1990) and handball (Alexander & Boreski, 1989). Ninety percent of the energy demand is associated with the repeated bursts of intense, brief activity are met by the anaerobic processes, but it is the aerobic metabolism that supplies the energy to enable the player to last for the duration of the match. It has been estimated that 60-70% of the energy during badminton is derived aerobically and 30% anaerobically (Chin et al., 1995). TALENT IDENTIFICATION Probably the most important attribute for a successful badminton player is their skill. However, many believe that if one can find a person with the right physical attributes one can teach them the skills. This is the basis of talent identification (Talent ID). If you can find some tall youngsters with good endurance, agility and speed, even if they have not been exposed to the sport of badminton before, one may be able to turn them into champions. This is not guaranteed, but if one test and develop a large groups of young players, there may be some within that group who have that extra special attribute to become a champion. In Sport, performance is determined by several factors namely skill, technique, tactics, fitness, training, etcetera. In

12 Introduction 12 common parlance the term performance is equated to playing ability. To assess the playing ability, there are very many means and methods. Generally it can be assessed by the competition results. Apart from that an individual s performance can be assessed either by subjective or objective method. One of the goals of scientific research is to identify the key factors, which plays critical role in performance Sports science also plays an influential role in badminton performance. In the recent times extensive research works were undertaken in Sports Science namely Sports Training, Sports Physiology, Sports Psychology, Sports Biomechanics, Sports Anthropometry, Sports Medicine, etcetera. The superior performance of today s athletes is the result of a complex blend of many factors (MacDougall et al., 1991). These factors include genetic endowment, physiology, biomechanics, training, health status, and experience. Champion athletes, depending on their specific sports, vary considerably in their physiological attributes (Daniels, 1974). It is therefore necessary to gain an understanding of the essential performance characteristics of a specific sport, in order to develop optimal training strategies for the athlete. Studies on the physics of badminton show that a Badminton player needs to have a certain level of muscular

13 Introduction 13 strength, power, local muscular endurance, flexibility and athleticism. It also shows that aerobic capacity and anaerobic capacity are the two most important fitness components in badminton because of the physically demanding nature of the game. The sport of badminton requires specific anthropometric, physical and physiology attributes - such as height, great court speed and agility, with a good background of endurance. Apart from skill (which is a highly important ability), the relative importance of the physiological parameters such as strength, speed, agility and endurance differ in their contributions to making a champion Badminton player. The psychological parameter of mental toughness and dedication is also needed in high doses. A racquet sport player would need to develop higher levels of the basic anthropometric qualities, physical and physiological components to be able to compete effectively against stronger opponents (Groppel & Roetert, 1992). Chin et al. (1995), it is recommended that if a player wants to achieve reasonable success in international badminton competitions, improvements in physical fitness needs to be emphasised in addition to skill training. It is useful to build up a normative database of physical fitness components in a particular sport in order to

14 Introduction 14 compare young athletes performances at various levels (Elliot et al.,1989). The test data obtained from physical fitness testing provides a good baseline and reference for coaches, sports scientists, physiotherapists as well as future researchers. The comparison of test scores of any one player with data from a normative base of many players enables to identify strengths and weaknesses of the player. This plays an important role in designing individual physical conditioning programmes according to sport specific demands, motivating players to train, and leads to the development of the players as well as the sport as a whole (Mahoney & Sharp, 1995). Achievement of a high skill level for any sport requires a combination of hard work, repetition and practice (Ellenbecker, 1991). The game of badminton is no exception. Badminton is a very versatile game that makes enormous physical, psychological, technical and tactical demands, but it is the physical fitness component that will directly determine the level of demand that can be put on the technical, tactical and psychological abilities of a player (Omosegaard, 1996). Badminton is a highly explosive sport, involving a unique movement technique over a relatively small court area (Hughes, 1995). It is an intermittent sport characterised by

15 Introduction 15 long bouts of high intensity exercise interspersed with rest periods (Faccini & DalMonte, 1996), and entails vigorous movement of both the lower and upper body musculature (Reilly et al., 1990). It requires quick sprints, stops, starts, lunges, jumps, rapid changes of direction, twisting, stretching, smashing, clearing, dropping, and tactically trying to outmaneuver the opponent. This sport demands quick anticipation and response to movements of the opponent, the shuttle, footwork and stroke production (Mahoney & Sharp, 1995). According to Groppel & Roetert (1992) and Lei et al. (1993), the physical requirements of racquet sports demand efficiency in a number of fitness components. To be able to execute advanced strokes or compete effectively against progressively stronger opponents, a player would need to develop higher levels of the basic physical qualities, such as strength, power, muscular endurance, f le xib i l i t y, coordination and agility. Body composition is also important in the game of badminton, as excess fat is disadvantageous in moving quickly across t h e court and in leaping to hit the shuttle (Reilly et al., 1990). RATIONALE FOR SELECTING THE PROBLEM Badminton is a one of the popular sports, played by men

16 Introduction 16 and women in more than 169 countries around the world. Since, the researcher is a badminton player; he feels that there is a need for an analytical study in order to discriminate the dominant factors associated with the badminton playing ability of University level participants. Moreover, limited number of researches had been done on badminton players, and also there is a lack of descriptive data on the playing ability of Inter- University Badminton players. This has motivated the investigator to take up the study. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The purpose of the study was to identify the dominant factors in assessing the playing ability from the selected anthropometrical, physical, physiological parameters and fundamental skills among badminton players. HYPOTHESIS It was hypothesized that dominant factors in assessing the playing ability might be predicted from the selected anthropometrical, physical, physiological parameters and fundamental skills among badminton players. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 1. The results of the study would be helpful for the coaches, physical educators and players to assess the dominant

17 Introduction 17 factors associated with playing ability among badminton players. 2. The results of the study would be helpful for the future badminton players to know the essential qualities needed for better performance in order of priority. 3. This study may be helpful for the coaches and other stakeholders to assess the strength and weakness of a particular badminton player. DELIMITATIONS 1. This study was restricted to only University men badminton players, who participated in South Zone Inter University Badminton Tournament for men held at VIT University, Vellore representing various South Indian Universities during to The subjects for the present study have been restricted to the 148 male players from various Universities. 3. The study was delimited to the following independent variables. Anthropometrical Variables - height, weight, hand length, arm length, leg length, forearm girth, wrist girth, mid thigh girth, and calf girth. Physical Characteristics - speed, agility, flexibility, leg explosive strength and leg explosive power.

18 Introduction 18 Physiological Components - resting pulse rate, breath holding time and peak expiratory flow rate. Fundamental Skills - short service, long service, forehand clear, backhand clear and volleying ability. 4. The age group of the subjects ranged from 18 to 25 years. LIMITATIONS 1. The life style, previous playing experience, day-to-day activities and mode of selection of team players were considered as limitations. 2. Changes in atmospheric temperature, geographical conditions, humidity and such other meteorological factors during the period of testing/match could not be controlled and their possible influence on the selected variables was also regarded as a limitation. 3. Practice time, fitness and skill levels of the players were not considered in this study. 4. The degree of difficulty varies from match to match was not taken into consideration. 5. Motivation of the players, home ground advantages, mode of encouragement made by spectators was not taken into consideration.

19 Introduction 19 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF THE TERMS Anthropometry Anthropometry is the study of the human body in terms of the dimensions of bone, muscle, and adipose tissue. It is the measurements of the human body to discover its exact dimensions and the proportion of its parts. (Surinder, 1993). Height The perpendicular distance between the Transverse planes of the Vertex and the inferior aspects of the feet. (Michael, 2006). Weight Mass is the quantity of matter in the body. Mass is calculated through the measurement of weight, i.e. the force the matter exerts in a standard gravitational field. (Michael, 2006). Hand length The inner distance between the midstylion and dectylion sites. (Michael, 2006). Arm Length The linear distance between the acromiale and dactylion sites of the lateral view. (Michael, 2006). Leg Length The vertical distance from the Trochanterion site to the standing surface. (Michael, 2006).

20 Introduction 20 Fore Arm Girth The maximal circumference of the forearm perpendicular to its long axis, distal to the humeral epicondyles. (Michael, 2006). Wrist Girth The minimal circumference of the wrist perpendicular to the long axis of the forearm, distal to the styloid process. (Michael, 2006). Mid Thigh Girth The circumference of the thigh measured at the level of the mid-trochantrerion- tibiale laterale site, perpendicular to its long axis. (Michael, 2006). Calf Girth The circumference of the leg at the level of the medial calf skinfold site, perpendicular to its long axis. (Michael, 2006). Speed According to Corbin, (2007), speed is an ability to perform a movement or cover a distance in a short time. Agility According to Elizabeth, (2007) agility is the ability to move and change direction and position of the body quickly and effectively while under control.

21 Introduction 21 Flexibility A person's flexibility refers to the ability of his joints to move through a full range of motion. (Paige, 2008). Leg Explosive Strength The ability to keep the leg muscle fibers turned on for an extended period of time against a resistance. The capacity of the lower limb to exert muscular force. Leg strength measures the limb of lifting resistance in lowering and arising from sitting position. (Barry L. Johnson 1982) Leg Explosive Power Measuring the distance between a person s standing reach and the height he or she can jump and reach has been proposed as a test of leg explosive power. Resting Heart Rate This is a person's heart rate at rest. The best time to find out your resting heart rate is in the morning, after a good night's sleep, and before you get out of bed in the morning. (Jonson, 2010). Breath Holding Time Breath holding time is defined as the duration of time through which one can hold his/her breathe without inhaling and exhaling after a deep inhalation. (Strukic, 1981).

22 Introduction 22 Peak expiratory flow rate Peak Expiratory flow is the maximal flow achieved during the maximally forced expiration initiated at full inspiration, measured in liters per minute. (William, 2003). Physical Characteristics In this study the physical characteristics is restricted to following variables namely speed, agility, flexibility, leg explosive strength and leg explosive power.