Ocular hazards of playing badminton.

Although badminton is played in many parts of the world, it is most popular in South-East Asia. It is a racket game with a shuttlecock played as singles between two or as doubles between four players. The racket is similar to a squash racket but much lighter. The shuttlecock is almost cone-shaped, 31 in. long with a diameter of 21 in. at one end and i in. at the other. Most ocular injuries occur as a result of a "smash" hit. Among the sports played in Malaysia, badminton presents the greatest ocular hazard, accounting for two-thirds of all ocular injury in sport (Table I). A search of the literature produced only scanty reference to the subject (Chandran and Ooi Eu-sen, I97I). This study was undertaken to determine the nature of the injuries resulting from playing badminton and to suggest possible preventive measures.