Yoneyama King Dia Racket
Photos: – Geoff Hinder Click on images to enlarge
The National Badminton Museum has recently been able to acquire a Yoneyama King Dia wooden badminton racket circa 1965. The King Dia weighs 132 grams, a modern graphite racket weighs approximately 104 grams.
In 1946 Minoru Yoneyama established his company just after the end of World War II using a single one horsepower motor, the company produced wooden floats for fishing nets and other wooden products. In 1957 the Yoneyama company evolved into manufacturing badminton rackets under other brand names. Minoru Yoneyama introduced the first Yoneyama brand badminton racket in 1961 and with the company’s commitment to innovation by 1968 had introduced the world’s first aluminium racket, the Yoneyama 7000.
1968 Yoneyama 7000, the world’s first racket with an aluminium head.
The late Minoru Yoneyama founder of the Yoneyama and Yonex companies.
Photo: – 1996 Peter Richardson
In 1973 the company’s new ‘YY’ logo with blue and green colour combinations was introduced and soon became a familiar sight on badminton and tennis courts around the globe. One year later, the company and brand name changed to YONEX.
1973 Yoneyama Hy-Stainless Racket
The Yonex company now produces tennis, badminton rackets and clothing also a full range of golfing equipment and many other sporting products.
These rackets and many more can be seen at the National Badminton Museum, National Badminton Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, MILTON KEYNES MK8 9LA.
Visitors are welcome to look around the Museum unescorted at any time – the National Badminton Centre is normally open 9am to 8pm every day.
If you have any badminton memorabilia, archive material, or any other items and would like to donate them to the National Badminton Museum please contact us at: –
museum@badmintonengland.co.uk
Thank you to all the ‘Friends of the Museum’ and people who have made donations to the National Badminton Museum, your support enables us to purchase extremely rare badminton artefacts for the National Collection as they become available.
