A new and emerging sport, Speed Badminton, was included in the third European Championships in Croatia last weekend. As the sport is becoming more and more prominent in Namibia, it is anticipated that Namibians will also compete at the next Speed Badminton World Championships, says Speedminton Namibia and South Africa head, Björn Magg.

Speed Badminton is a fast racket sport combining elements of tennis, squash and badminton. As there is neither a net nor any specific surfaces required it can be played anywhere and anytime. “The secret is the shuttlecock, which is heavier than a normal badminton shuttle-cock which glows in the dark,” Magg stated.

Invented in 2001 there are already more than 2 million players worldwide, 3 000 of them on a professional level.  Magg, who is establishing Speed Badminton in Namibia dreams of sending a Namibian team to the next World Championships in 2015. “Speed Badminton is a very young sport. Namibia can still catch up to world-class level”, says the bio-kineticist and sports enthusiast.

The first club is set to open in Windhoek later this year. Meanwhile the third European Championships in Speed Badminton was held in Porec, Croatia, in early June when 300 players competed for individual titles in 9 categories.

The most successful nation was Hungary, with four titles proving to be the most successful nation, while Sweden’s Per Hjalmarson who won last year’s World Championships, took the gold medal in the men’s open division. Jasmina Keber won the women’s title for Slovenia.

Since its introduction in December 2011 Speed Badminton has experienced mounting interest among Namibians. “We do have regular fun events and have introduced the sport to several schools. The next step is to set up a club,” Magg added.

Interested players are encouraged to join the events, which are published on their website and on their facebook page. Participation is free of charge and all equipment will be provided by Speedminton Namibia. For regular updates interested people can find more info on www.facebook.com/speedmintonNamSA