Hamilton Boys take on speedminton

Speed Badminton is set to take the shuttlecock to places where it's never been before.

The new game - set to become a national sport and targeting world championships in 2013 - was unveiled at Hamilton Boys' High School earlier this week.

Popular throughout Europe, Asia and America, the next generation racquet sport was officially launched in New Zealand, where it is set to gain mass appeal with Kiwis as a fun, competitive game for all ages and abilities.

Already 20 secondary schools have signed up to play the new game.

Head of Physical Education at Hamilton Boys' Todd Miller is enthusiastic about the new sport.

"We decided to include Speed Badminton into the curriculum after Simon Rutherford, a former physical education teacher and Speedminton's New Zealand promoter, taught a lesson here. We liked how students in our classes were able to pick it up quickly regardless of their prior skills or ability."

"Speed Badminton is also one of the best sports for developing hand-eye coordination and gives kids an easy and fun introduction into all racquet sports," says Mr Rutherford.

Badminton NZ believes Speed Badminton is a great avenue for introducing more New Zealanders to an outdoor game that has similar traits to badminton but is better suited to the Kiwi outdoor lifestyle.

Speed Badminton - otherwise known as Speedminton, after its international sports gear manufacturer - was founded in Germany in 2001. It combines some of the best elements of tennis, squash and badminton into one game - but the key point of difference is that there is no net or court so it can be played anywhere, anytime.

Speed Badminton has a specially designed racquet and modified shuttlecock, called a Speeder which unlike the traditional shuttlecock, can handle outdoor conditions, where players can hit speeds of up to 265 km/hr.

Germany Speedminton International Chief Executive Niels Mester has challenged New Zealand to enter next year's world championships. "Given Kiwi's competitive nature and natural sporting talent, we're expecting to see a team representing New Zealand in 2013."

Badminton New Zealand is backing the new sport with the organisation committed to playing a major role in introducing Speed Badminton into clubs and schools across the country.