6 min readAug 2, 2026 10:31 AM IST
First published on: Aug 2, 2026 at 10:31 AM IST
Yellow vs Red in badminton wouldn’t need too much of an explanation for Indian fans. Even 10 years on, the Rio Olympics final between PV Sindhu and Carolina Marin is imprinted on the brain. As would the podium snapshot of her silver in India’s iconic blue – a collective memory for a nation that began getting used to yet another elite performing sport.
The orange outlines to Rio’s green courts were welcomed like a carnival would be.
The most powerful moment though might be the Indian men’s team in white with blue geometric abstracts splintered on the sleeves as they won the 2022 Thomas Cup. An equally imposing frame might be PV Sindhu in a black silhouette with matte gold side pleats winning India’s only individual world title at Basel in 2019. Though medal colours dominate conversations rather than the kit, shuttlers adorn. But the badminton aesthetic has certain unwritten rules that depend on the hue of the court.
When Delhi gets its World Championships carpet this month, it will be simply the finishing to six different layers that make up the court. Three polyvinyl chloride PVC layers with the lowest sound absorbent and a shock absorbing loaf. There’s also a meshing of fiberglass that makes the surface solid but spongy. On top of that goes the carpet. Mostly green.
Raphael Sachetat has been clicking the sport for 27 years since his first tournament, a US Open where he borrowed a digital camera because his French publication demanded a picture.
He reckons All England’s grey courts completely revolutionized the way the sport looked – for the better. “Grey courts got rid of the reflection on faces. Red would make it dreadful, and green also reflects strangely. Grey is neutral,” the BadmintonPhoto chief explains.
All bright colours radiate a sheen that gives photographs an unwanted special (not) effect. But lensmen and broadcasters alike had nursed doubts when All England debuted the grey. “We were puzzled. It was like entering an old B/W TV set. But the results were great,” he says.
This week, India has been immersed in the most bizarre controversy of its hockey team opting for an orange jersey replacing its identifiable and iconic blue. The ostensible reason offered was that blue was tough to spot on the blue astroturf, though two Olympic bronze medals after 41 years might disagree. The politics aside, there are only specific shades of orange that actually go well on that green. The Indian flag got it right – but the unveiled and jeered jersey and the Dutch turf will both hope they don’t jar.
Sitting at home watching Paris, most Indians could make out the moving human blue figures of Indians from the non-living spiky blue turf beneath, so the fuss was entirely lost on us. Badminton, though, has strange things happening in its indoor arenas too at times.
The India Open this January got stuck with disco lights fitted by an enthusiastic contractor, that cast dark patches on the court — something the World’s will be mindful about. A 1500 lux lighting is expected from big events, and brighter lights always get contentious between chief referees and broadcasters if they start blinding players. But the disco light beams were a little too much.
The World Tour Finals in China went for a flashy red court shade. Or was it a bright pink? Either way, lensmen spent hours losing the ghostly shadows. “Players were looking like they were panting heavily even if they’d just started the match,” Sachetat recalls, unable to explain the unintended reflecting revues of red at WTF.
The Swiss Open nailed the perfect shade of blue for the court that mimicked tennis’ hardcourts at Basel. But bright colours are fraught.
Badminton also divides camera-folks because traditionally arenas are darkened so that the white feather shuttle is visible. Even A-boards have specifications for what percentage of white they can be allowed. But the US Open had well lit courts this year for their Super 500 where a few hundred spectators lounged visibly in the stepped stands. “These days half the venues are darkened..others aren’t. It’s tough because while the shuttle viz is important and the focus is on players, you don’t want the sport to look like it’s happening in a dark studio. The public behind makes it look like a sports arena,” Sachetat says.
On the kit colours, badminton breathes easy because shuttlers needn’t stick to one jersey like in team sports, and can switch colours every week. So, An Se-young has been wearing orange and black prominently this year, and kit suppliers roll out nice mints, pinks, yellows, reds and blues that players shuffle in. “I like white or black best. Works on any court. Photographs well,” the Frenchman says.
Lakshya Sen digs white, and Sindhu has rocked a bottle green kit earlier in the summer. Satwik-Chirag win wearing any color. But ask an Indian badminton fan their favourite colours- yellow circa 2016, white circa 2022 might well be it. Gold discs look swell.
Players playing badminton on the courts. (Express photo) 
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