There’s no hiding place in badminton.

So says Scott Barrett, who should know what he’s talking about because he is the club secretary at Gloucester who play in the Gloucestershire Badminton League.

“It’s a very quick game and can be quite technical in terms of strategy,” said the 26-year-old. “If you’re playing doubles, for example, both players have a high level of responsibility in a game.

“It’s not like it’s 11-a-side and you can rely on someone else.

“People get shocked at how technical the game is and how demanding it can be.”

The club run two men’s teams, two mixed teams and a ladies’ team, and Barrett plays for the men’s Division Five side as well as one of the mixed teams in Division Two.

They play at Beaufort Academy in Tuffley and they’ve got some decent players with teenager Reece Watts already a county player while his uncle Adam Watts has also played at county level.

“We want to win but it is a social sport,” said Barrett, who also plays squash socially. “First and foremost we want to enjoy it.”

And now Barrett has taken up the sport – he has been playing it for the past six years – he wants to continue playing it for as long as possible.

“Yes, definitely,” he said. “We’ve got players who are in their 50s. The big thing about badminton is the better you get the less you have to move so that definitely helps!”

The leading men’s team compete in Division Two of the county league, the ladies also play in Division Two of their league, while the second mixed team play in Division Four of their section.