Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the court. A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the ground, and the shuttlecock may only be struck once by each side before it passes over the net.

The shuttlecock is a feathered projectile whose unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently from the balls used in most racquet sports; in particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly than a ball. Because shuttlecock flight is strongly affected by wind, competitive badminton is always played indoors. Badminton is also played outdoors as a casual recreational activity, often as a garden or beach game.

Since 1992, badminton is an Olympic sport with five events : men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles, in which each pair is a man and a woman. At high levels of play, the sport demands excellent fitness: players require aerobic stamina, agility, strength, speed, and precision. It is also a technical sport, requiring good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated racquet skills.

Sports

Despite the limited sports facilities in Vientiane, only 25 disciplines will be in competition, compared to 43 held in Nakhon Ratchasima. Among the sports will be missing from competition are cycling, gymnastics, hockey, rowing and weightlifting.

• Archery
• Aquatics
• Athletics
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Billiards and Snooker¹
• Bodybuilding¹
• Boxing
• Bowling
• Football
• Golf¹
• Handball
• Judo
• Karatedo
• Muay Thai²
• Pencak Silat²
• Pétanque²
• Shooting
• Shuttle cock kickingʰ
• Table tennis
• Taekwondo
• Traditional boat race¹
• Volleyball
• Wrestling
• Wushu