THE Bermuda Badminton Association is lining up a Canadian tour to sharpen up the team ahead of the Island Games in July. And the association is going to re-activate the National Championships to give players another taste of tournament conditions before heading out to the remote Scottish islands of Shetland where the eight-person squad will be competing in both team and individual contests.

Badminton Association spokesman Rick Dorush is trying to set up a four or five-day tour in his old stamping ground of Ottawa in April but clashing schedules are proving difficult.

Dorush, who was ranked seventh in Canada before moving to Bermuda about five years ago, said: "It will give us some continuous play and training and will test us against a better level of competition."

The squad has also been putting in gruelling four-hour sessions in BAA Gym on Sunday afternoons to improve fitness and technique.

Repetitive drills which send the players to the four corners of the court and to the front and back have sharpened up footwork, racket skills and stamina.

"We are certainly improving but it is exhausting."

Dorush, along with Ian Wilkie and Amanda Smith, is a veteran of the last Island Games in Guernsey in 2003 and is hoping for a better showing this time around.

"At least we didn't finish last ? we finished second from last. The competition was very tough. This time we certainly hope to improve."

Badminton is one of the mandatory sports in the Island Games with 14 teams last time around with the main competition coming from Guernsey and Jersey.

The Bermuda squad comprises of Dorush, Wilkie, Mark Haugen, Lee Harrison, Paul Lee, Amanda Smith, Dianne Blais and Claire Kent.

The line-up has changed somewhat as players have dropped out because of cost.

Dorush said: "It's very expensive, cost is a real issue." The Badminton Association is now stepping up its fundraising drive to boost finances.

Despite the seriousness in which the players are taking the tournament the domestic game does not have a league structure ? just pick-up games at BAA Gym on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Most domestic players have their eyes on the Victor Flood Tournament which runs on four nights between March 8 and 17 with singles, men's doubles, ladies doubles and mixed doubles events.

Last year Dorush won everything but the ladies doubles as he won the singles event and paired up with Wilkie and Blais for each of doubles events.

This year he tips Wilkie and Haugen as the ones to watch for the singles tournament. The closing date for entry in the competition is March 1. Non Members of BAA pay $15 and members pay $10.

In the juniors non members pay $5 while it's free for members.

Dorush said: "This was a very successful tournament last year and we hope to improve upon it again this year."

Juniors can compete in the Under-14 and Under-18 events. "Last year it was great for the kids who can say they have a medal. They seem quite happy about that."

He hopes the youngsters will be similarly enamoured with a revived national championship which is planned for May.

Dorush hopes to attract about 30-40 players ? similar numbers to the Victor Flood tournament ? and believes the kudos of winning a National Championship medal will be a big draw.

He said: "I think they had a National Championship here a long time ago."

He has seen an upsurge in interest in the sport with up to 30 players attending the Tuesday pick-up games in BAA Gym while up to 20 are coming to the Thursday sessions.