At the national championship level, players work up quite a sweat on the small indoor courts. And that odd-looking, feathered cone known as a birdy or shuttlecock? It's flying across the net at speeds of nearly 200 mph.

"It's the fastest human-propelled projectile in the Olympics," said Fred Coleman of USA Badminton.

Fans of the Olympic sport were looking to raise its profile last weekend in Morrisville. For the first time in 69 years, North Carolina hosted a national championship tournament.

About 180 players ages 35 to 80 brought their rackets to the modified basketball courts at NetSports on Davis Drive for the 2011 Senior National Championships for USA Badminton.

Many of the players have been at it for decades. They form friendships and rivalries with their peers from around the country, despite only meeting on the court once a year.

Seventy-one-year-old Tom Carmichael of Michigan has been playing since age 16. He played on the U.S. national team in 1967. And he takes credit for persuading sportswriter Mitch Albom to give the sport another look after Albom trashed it as unworthy of Olympic play. The writer later took back his words.

"It's still, without a doubt, the hardest racquet sport there is," Carmichael said, adding that it's the national sport in Indonesia. "People don't adopt a national sport without it having somemerit."

Carmichael said his 1967 game in Indonesia attracted 16,000 spectators. Professional badminton players are celebrities in Denmark and other places where it's popular.

In the U.S., badminton is most popular on the West Coast. That's why it's taken so long to bring the championships back to North Carolina. The 1942 national tourney was held at Duke University, and organizers held an exhibition match during a UNC-Duke basketball game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Badminton has had a resurgence in the Triangle as the area's international population grows. Weekly practices are held in Cary, Morrisville and Durham, and many players hail from Asia and Europe. In July, the N.C. Badminton Club plans to bring in the Danish national team's coach for youth and adult camps.

Tony Hewitt of Cary learned the sport from his mother, who is British. He's a fan of the sport's unique pace - one minute, they're tapping the birdy lightly across the net; the next, they're rushing forward to slam it at their opponent.

"I like the way the game changes speed," Hewitt said. "It's very exciting."

Hewitt also enjoys battling younger players. At the senior nationals, players are divided into five-year age groups. But Hewitt opted to play down in the 35-and-up category, and he and his doubles partner took home a silver medal Saturday.

Kids can learn the game in a matter of hours. Top players can employ complex strategy. And aging players can choose to slow the game's pace.

"It's a lifetime sport," said tournament organizer Paul Knechtel.

As new generations join the veterans, Knechtel expects to host another national tournament within three or four years. He's also hoping to build a dedicated badminton facility, not just lines on a basketball court.

"It will not be difficult for us to get the tournament back again," he said. "The epicenter of badminton is moving east."