The boom is not suprising. Badminton is the ideal sport for Filipinos. It takes up far less space than soccer, and it doesn't require abnormal lankiness the way basketball does. To prove the point, the Indonesians, whose genetic blueprint is pretty much the same as ours, were the dominant world power in competitive badminton until the Chinese came along. The added advantage for Cebuanos is that badminton - unlike tennis or golf - is played out of the glare of the sun, allowing our complexion-conscious citizens to immerse themselves in the sport without ever having to worry about getting too dark.

Do you have a habit of getting all excited about some sport, spending a lot on gear, energetically exercising for about a week, and lapsing back into your slothful old ways when the enthusiasm fades? Not to worry. This article will advise you on getting into badminton without spending too much, so that you can first test the waters and see if this sport really is the right one for you.

Unlike, say, golf, it isn't that hard to get good enough at badminton to start enjoying the sport quickly. If you are a raw beginner, you'll just need to arm yourself with basic information by reading magazines or checking out badminton-related websites (links are given at the bottom of this page), find yourself a partner, buy basic gear, and sign up with a gym. Finding a partner is largely up to you. You can try your friends, relatives, or hit the online bulletin boards.

Thanks to the ongoing boom, you can avail of a constant wave of badminton tournaments. These are being held at a pace of about one a month. Once you have the basics, be sure to participate in tournaments, even if there's not much chance of bringing home the trophy. Tournaments are a great way to learn more about the sport, meet new playing partners, and generally immerse yourself in the badminton culture.

An added benefit for newcomers to the sport is in badminton there is a levels system, intended to match players with more or less the same skill levels. Hence you can still bring home a trophy in your category even if you're hopelessly outclassed by other competitors in a tournament.

But how does levelling actually work? We asked Liza Solano, Managing Editor of Badminton Philippines, to bring us up to speed.

"The tournament organizer," explains Liza, "forms a committee to classify the players into different levels and sometimes even sub-levels. If the tournament is being held among members of a club, who regularly play against each other, then the participants are likely to be classified more accurately since the leveling committee is already familiar with how they play on court.

"Leveling is more difficult to do for tournaments open to the general public. In this case, the committee's basis for classification is how well the player performed during the leveling period (pre-tournament match). He could just be having a bad day prior to the tournament."

But who actually assigns levels? It varies. Liza told us that there is no official group that does the leveing. "Some tournament organizers conduct the leveling themselves. Others get top coaches or even members or ex-members of the National Team to take charge of leveling."

As to be expected, the levelling system lacks strict guidelines, and this has created some controversies. Players will sometimes complain that they haven't been properly matched, or - in rare occasions - indulge in a dubious practice known as "sandbagging," namely playing poorly during the levelling period in order to be matched with weaker opponents. Nonetheless, the levelling system is undoubtedly a benefit for beginners seeking to become actively involved in badminton.

For more information about levelling - and lots more - you'd better become a regular reader of Badminton Philippines.

Let us now consider getting the gear you need to feel comfortable, look great, and have the tools to rule the court. The expense of getting fitted out is not to be underestimated. Sure, it doesn't cost much to buy a pair of kiddie rackets at White Gold and toss a shuttlecock back and forth on the street outside your house. But that's Bisdak badminton. For the real version, you need real equipment. Every gym has its own little shop selling badminton gear. The selections tend to be a little limited, however, and the prices somewhat high, so you may wish to go to a sporting goods store. There are essentially two places that are not affiliated with any gym.

IMPORTANT: If you plan on becoming fit and getting good at the sport, stick to singles rather than doubles. With doubles you don't get to run around as much, and spend only half as much time hitting the shuttlecock - beginners often end up just standing around for hours. Boring!

There's Toby's, the sporting goods retailer. Toby's have been an active supporter of the badminton scene for years, and have a large variety of badminton gear. If you want the best, or if it's important to be seen with cool stuff, the place to go is Toby's. But you'd better have lots of cash or a healthy credit card.

The alternative is the no-frills Smash 'n' Drop, currently the only speciality badminton shop in Cebu. Smash 'n' Drop was born out of a bazaar stall selling low-priced badminton sportswear. Strong demand encouraged owners Colleen and Wendell, a balikbayan couple, to postpone their plans to open a pharmacy and launch a badminton specialty shop instead.

In addition to low-cost factory overruns, Smash 'n' Drop sell unique badminton goods that are hard to get anywhere else in Cebu, such as the badminton kikay bag, depicted at right, which looks like a tiny racket bag and is a steal at P575. Colleen, who is an avid badminton player herself, explains that this is useful for carrying essentials to the locker room and back.

So how much does it cost to get completely fitted out? At the very least, about 5k. Here's a rough indication of rock bottom prices.

Although it may seem to the beginner that the cost of shuttlecocks is negligible, be warned that shuttlecocks will be your biggest expense. Unlike golf balls, shuttlecocks don't last very long. The better you get, the more forcefully will you whack the poor things, and the more you will be spending on shuttlecocks. While beginners may get away with using up just one shuttlecock per session, expert players will smash their way through two or more per game.

The badminton bag - for carrying racket, shoes, and clothes - is an optional addition to the shopping list, but shoes are usually not. This is because all courts require players to wear non-marking gumsole shoes. These are not exactly the same as rubber shoes. It may be the case, however, that your cross trainers or indoor workout rubber shoes have gumsoles; check with your gym. All gyms permit streetwear to be used on the courts as long as they are non-marking gumsole shoes.

Which brings us, finally, to the issue of which gym to go to. Just two years ago, there wasn't a single badminton gym in Cebu; with the exception of the YMCA, the badminton courts were all at the universities. Now, there are plenty of gyms to choose from. We'll review the gyms one by one, because choosing a gym is the most crucial decision you will make.

The system is essentially the same at all gyms. Memberships are annual. In addition to the membership fee, you pay a court rental fee, per court and per hour. Rates are higher during peak hours, and a few pesos extra are charged for guests, per head. Members may make reservations in advance (and must pay a depsoit when signing up, which will be used to deduct penalties in the event of cancellations). In addition to the regular system, some gyms have play-all-you-want schemes in place during off-peak hours; you can play as many hours as your body's stamina will permit for a fairly low fixed fee.

Apart from location and price, perhaps the most important consideration for many players is the type of flooring.

The International Badminton Federation (IBF) requires competition courts to be made of a branded material called Taraflex. The more expensive courts in Cebu do indeed have Taraflex and consider this to be a strong selling point. However, the clumsy beginner just starting out wouldn't be able to tell Taraflex from glued sheets of rubber. A novice badminton player insisting on Taraflex is like a schoolgirl insisting on a Stradivarius. Unless you're pretty good already, rubber or wood will do just fine.

Cebu currently has a total of six gyms specializing in badminton. In Mandaue City there's Sweat Spot, Tavo's Side Court, Shuttlecock, and Quickpoints. In Reclamation there are two courts, Portside and The Courtyard. In the city is Metro Sports. Mostly people will only mention Metro Sports as the place to play badminton in Cebu, and while Metro Sports do have excellent facilities, in most cases, it probably isn't the ideal choice for the beginner. There are plenty of alternatives, most of them better suited to the beginner's requirements.

First, Sweat Spot. This is a good choice if you are starting out and would rather be careful about how much you spend. Sweat Spot is a uniquely Cebuano creation; local boy Jun Cabrera decided to cash in on the badminton boom and built a gym with 5 courts. But instead of paying Manila-based companies to install the floors, Jun made them himself, trying to figure it out by trial and error. Incredibly, it worked. Sweat Spot was a smashing success, and memberships sold like hotcakes.

Jun now also owns Tavo's Side Court, named after his son and completed in nearby Guizo, on April 23, 2005. Wa'y Blima! liked Jun's customer-oriented attitude. For instance, at just 500 pesos per year, the membership fee at Tavo's is exactly half that of Sweat Spot, even though the facililities are the same. Why? Jun says that it's because Tavo's Side Court has only two courts. Consequently members will have to fight harder to get slots during busy times, waiting times will be longer, and Jun didn't feel as comfortable asking for the same fee.

Jun even installed the floor at Shuttlecock, and says he'd be happy to install a floor at your gym. Perhaps Jun will have more work coming his way soon, because Shuttlecock's floor, now more than one year old, is starting to peel. Shuttlecock are located in Mandaue, on the narrow road stretching from Neo-Neo to Cabancalan (parallel to Hernan Cortez Street). Shuttlecock has three courts and is another affordable option for beginners.

Consider this: all gyms offer free-lance trainers who will teach you how to play, usually at 200 pesos per hour. But while the fancier gyms require their trainers to be varsity or ex-varsity players, Shuttlecock make no such pretense. The instructor is just a neighborhood kid who happens to play well - and that's really all you need when you are just starting out. The high-level skills of ex-varsity coaches are wasted on someone holding a racket for the first time, and the fees are higher, too. At Shuttlecock, you can get your instruction for just 100 pesos per hour. Unlike in the posh courts, the staff may not speak much English, but every one of them is friendly in true Cebuano tradition.

Next, we're off to Portside. This spanking new gym is incongruently located on the industrial road running parallel to the main Recla highway. It has ten Taraflex courts and, whereas rank amateurs abound in most gyms, the level of play is relatively high. Victor Louis Isungga IV, the manager, proudly told Wa'y Blima! about a Portside-based badminton team who did well at a competition being held at cross-town rival Metro Sports. The quality and the quantity of instructors on call at Portside - which include a former member of the national team as well as varsity coaches - reinforce the notion that Portside is the place to be affiliated with if your game is quite good and you are intent on taking it as high as it will go. If you like the Nike ads and winning is important to you, then you should feel at home at Portside.

Not far from Portside is The Courtyard, located along one of those dusty roads across SM. The Courtyard has, without a doubt, the best designed and stylish interior. The cafe on the second floor, elegantly configured to allow patrons to view the activity on the courts, has pure concrete slabs and sleek aluminum furniture; it wouldn't look out of place in a world-class metropolis.

On the downside, The Courtyard has ony four courts (two rubberized and two wood), which is a shame considering the location. They compensated with the longest opening hours of any badminton gym, closing at the ungodly hour of 2:00AM. Membership is divided into Gold and Silver; the former can play anytime while the latter are limited to specific hours. If The Courtyard is your choice and you're on a tight budget, you might as well go for the Silver since it will be hard to get slots during peak hours anyway.

Then there's Quickpoints. On balance, this is Wa'y Blima!'s favorite gym. Provided your location allows it, Quickpoints is a good choice whether you're a raw beginner or fairly adept already. Whereas even Metro Sports and The Courtyard feel quite cramped, the huge size of Quickpoints' cavernous gym and the lavish use of space throughout the facilities give the place a relaxing feel. The customer service is good; the staff will even try to find you a partner to play with if you lack one. Quickpoints is owned by a Manila businessman who doesn't play badminton and managed by a Cebuana who isn't much of a player either, but between them they have somehow figured out a formula that works.

Metro Sports, conveniently located next to the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, is perhaps the best known badminton gym in Cebu. As of May, 2005, Metro Sports is still a hip and happening place to be seen at, and at any given time you will come across a good selection of Cebu's rich and famous, a good proportion of whom are there not for the badminton but just to hang out.

Consequently, despite the excellent facilities (18 Taraflex courts, a workout gym, and a wall for practicing rock-climbing), it may be difficult to concentrate on your game, due to the large amount of socializing that goes on. If you need to be seen in the right places, Metro Sports is the place to go. The price and the fact that it is hard to get personalized customer service - the management and staff are always extremely busy, with little time for people who don't own at least three BMW's - may be a turn off for many, especially those who are focused on badminton as a sport, rather than a social activity.

Now that we have reviewed all the gyms, where does that leave us?

The Wa'y Blima! advice for raw beginners who don't have money coming out of their ears is to test the waters by, first and foremost, not signing up for any membership at any club. While most gyms will pressure you to sign on for annual membership, you don't have to be a member to play. Members are prioritized and charged less for using the court, but non-members can go to any court and pay a small fee to have a go at it for a few hours. Theoretically, you could play for years without ever getting a membership. But even though this option is actually more economical for most people, the gyms don't like it, and membership does offer real added benefits. For instance, in most cases, only members can call in advance and make reservations.

Having tested the waters, you can decide whether you want to seriously get into the game. Are you sure you want to spend a few hours several times a week running around like crazy and taking swipes at a shuttlecock? Then you may be ready for an annual membership.

If you merely want some light exercise, an excuse to get out of the house, and an opportunity to expand your social circle, go with The Courtyard or Metro Sports.

But if you are serious about continuing with badminton as a sport, either choose Quickpoints or Portside, or economize by signing up with Shuttlecock, Sweat Spot or Tavo's Side Court - provided that you can easily reach these locations and that you don't mind washing up using a kabo. If, one year from now, badminton is still an important part of your life and you have spent the past year working on your ability, that might be the time to move on to a more expensive gym with better facilities. The denizens of these clubs will be impressed by your playing ability, and you will be secure in the knowledge that the hefty membership fee is money well spent on something that is important to you.