Badminton: sport of presidents, film stars and lesser mortals, like me, who find it fun. Played by Russian president Vladimir Putin and—rumour has it—Leonardo DiCaprio, the sport is believed to have taken its name from the Duke of Beaufort’s property, Badminton House, in Gloucestershire, England. When I first moved to Italy, I stopped playing my favourite sport as I couldn’t find a club. It took me years to find a place to smash and drop shot here in Florence.
That problem no longer exists. Every Tuesday night at 9pm, the Florence Stormy Weather Badminton Club meets in the school sports hall at via Maffei, 3. Although the roof is a bit low, the friendly English-speaking members enthusiastically introduce you to the feathered game if you’ve never played before, or welcome you with open arms if you’re an intermediate to advanced shuttlecock hitter.
Alternatively, every Friday night at 9:30pm, head just outside the city boundary to the hamlet of Girone, where, at Centro Sportivo Anchetta sports centre (via Aretina, 42), the same club offers four courts to its members.
At both sites, the first session is free, and you can sign up for a season ticket (10 sessions) after the introduction.
For more information, e-mail badmintonfirenze@virgilio.it or Facebook page FirenzeBadminton for regular updates.
