THE NEW badminton season is looming fast and you could play a vital part in one of the major events of the 2010-2011 campaign.

The Bank of Scotland International Championships will again be staged at the Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena in Glasgow from November 24-28 and the tournament offers badminton followers a great chance to get involved in the sport in the build-up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

BADMINTONscotland are looking for volunteers to work in the many departments that go towards the smooth running of this major sporting event. Openings are available for volunteers in line judging, stewarding, driving or organising transport, match control, hospitality and for hosts and hostesses.

A volunteers' application form is available from Badminton Scotland’s website to download and submit. Check out www.badmintonscotland.org.uk

Tickets are already on sale for the showcase event with fans eager to see Glasgow's Susan Egelstaff defend the women's singles title she won for the first time last November.

Badminton Europe gave BADMINTONscotland a 100 per cent rating in 2009 for the professional way it was run and to make sure the Championships remain the No. 1 event on the BADMINTON Europe Circuit, BADMINTONscotland are again looking for volunteers to help with the running of the third oldest tournament in world badminton.

Apart from the elite players competing in the tournament, there are also 3,000 schoolchildren to supervise at the flagship Bank of Scotland Play Badminton Carnival, which will run throughout Championship week.

BADMINTONscotland Chief Executive Anne Smillie said: "The Bank of Scotland International Championships is much more than just a tournament. It's a chance to get youngsters involved in our great sport as well as a wonderful opportunity for people to make new friends by joining the volunteer community that is so vital to the running of events like ours.

"Volunteers play a key role in all our tournaments in Scotland and by becoming a volunteer at the Bank of Scotland International you will be taking the first step on a road that could lead to involvement in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014."