BADMINTON: This Rita needs no educating; CHECK OUT WEMYSS & HER SHUTTLE TOUCHES.

Byline: JACK McGRINDER

BADMINTON, now there's a sport that perhaps conjures up prissy images. You know, a couple of librarians pit-patting a shuttlecock over a net down the church hall.

Or maybe in your mind's eye you see a couple of timid teenagers, who shy away from contact sports, having a super time on the court.

If this is the case then you obviously never watched the Badminton in the Olympic Games and that's your loss.

There was nothing genteel about Britain's Nathan Roberts and Gail Emms' mixed doubles final against eventual gold medallists Zhang Jun and Gao Ling of China.

And there was no quarter given when Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat outplayed Shon Seung-mo in a dramatic men's singles final that must have convinced those who watched that here is a true sport.

Indeed both these matches and many others had agility, speed and deftness of touch in great store but, above all, passion. However, if you're still a tad cynical then take yourself along to Glasgow's Kelvin Hall tomorrow.

What's on offer until Sunday will be the Bank of Scotland Scottish International Championships when some of the world's best players certainly won't be in pit-patting mode.

Our very own Yuan Wemyss is hotly tipped to do well and before we go any further, yes she is playing for Scotland.

All right, she's Chinese born but she's as Scottish as a takeaway prawn curry and a can of lager on a Saturday night - and she's also known as Rita.

Anyhow, Rita - who is Scotland's only seeded player - will be aiming to win the women's doubles title for the third time when she partners German Petra Overzier.

Wemyss has previously won it with fellow Scots Sandra Watt (2001) and Kirsteen McEwan (2002).

World No.10 ranked pair Kamila Augustyn and Nadiezda Kostiuczyk are favourites to take a second successive doubles title home to Poland.

But Malaysia's fast-emerging Hooi Yee Chor and Lim Pek Siah are the big dangers as second seeds.

Our Rita is also fancied to go all the way in the mixed doubles with Glasgow's Graeme Smith and she's spearheading Scotland's singles bid.

At last year's event Michal Logosz and Robert Mateusiak won the men's.

New Zealand's John Moody and Sweden's George Rimarcdi are seeded to meet in the men's final, although Germany's Marc Zwiebler will be a danger at third seed along with No.4 Jan Frohlich of the Czech Republic.

Scotland's leading man, Bruce Flockhart from Lochgelly, might also figure highly after winning his eighth national title this year.

He's now part-time and has retired from international badminton but he's still our main hope in the men's singles.

Incidentally, running alongside the championships will be the week-long Bank of Scotland Badminton Carnivals.

Around 3000 schoolkids will be given the opportunity to come to the Kelvin Hall and learn from Scottish coaches.

Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Dan Travers, now the Scottish Institute of Sports' national high performance coach, said 'It's a great thing for the young.

'We're doing everything we can to promote our sport, so the Kelvin Hall kids venture is vital. But apart from that I'm looking forward to a tremendous championships.'

At some point in the week that nice royal chappie Prince Edward, who's Badmintonscotland's patron, will receive the Sudirman Cup flag from International Badminton Federation president Korn Thapparansi.

The ceremony will confirm Scotland as host of the 10th World Mixed team Championships in May 2007.

So now you know - badminton is no longer a church hall game, it's the real deal and the Bank of Scotland has just renewed its support with a three-year pounds 150,000 sponsorship package.

Now, ask yourselves this, has any bank ever given money away to a lost cause?