Video: Girls badminton reigns supreme in St. Paul. Here’s why.

For 23 years, from 1999 to 2022, a St. Paul Public School team was either crowned champion or runner-up at Minnesota’s high school girls badminton state tournament. Johnson leads the list with 12 state titles, followed by Harding with eight.

St. Paul’s dominance doesn’t end there. Of the 29 Minnesota state badminton tournaments, 22 singles and 20 doubles champions hail from St. Paul.

So, why is St. Paul a hot bed for badminton talents? Part of it stems from the city’s diverse population.

“Obviously we have a really big Karen, Karenni and Hmong community here. [That] is a big part of that and just sort of how connected they all are,” said Niko Solheid, a senior at Como Park Senior High.

During the 2024-25 school year, roughly 14,000 girls participated in the sport at 580 high schools across the U.S., according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Minnesota had the fifth-largest participation total with 1,076 girls playing badminton at 36 schools. At the seven St. Paul public schools, there’s an average of 40 players per team, but Harding has as many as 70 this season.

“We have a lot more girls wanting to play badminton, and there’s more recreational centers that also host badminton throughout the week,” said Dylan Vang, the assistant head coach at Harding High School. “By doing that, we’re able to grow the high school community and the youth community.”

Only twice in the sport’s singles history has St. Paul not been represented. In doubles, 2025 marked the first time since 1999, and only fourth time overall, with no St. Paul title contenders.