Bangla, Biryanis and Badminton

Badminton
Originally uploaded by Bangla, Biryanis and Badminton.

I think I’ve covered the Bangla and Biryanis (well, food in general, really, but for the record, unfortunately the only Biryanis I’ve eaten have been out of greasy “packet” lunches – a cheap way of feeding hundreds of people at work functions), but up to now I haven’t said a word about Badminton – simply because it’s a winter sport and it has only really just got going – in a big way.

Semi-permanent nets are being put up all over the country – in the school grounds near where I live; in driveways in Dhaka, complete with floodlights; in the middle of rice paddies. And people are using whatever means possible to get that shuttlecock flying – two beautiful little boys who live at my office, 10-year-old Hassan and his 8-year-old brother, Hussain, were using their thongs as bats the other day because they don’t have real ones. It was so adorable, I even took some video footage. Actually, these boys were also using piles of rubbish as soccer goals a few months ago – ten points for creativity!

I think badminton could be giving cricket a run for its money in the popularity stakes in Bangladesh. Forgive my prejudice against the sport, but badminton seems to be an odd sport to be SO popular. It's a bit daggy, isn't it?