A TEAM of shuttlecock footballers from the North-East are preparing for an international tournament.

Four representatives of Consett YMCA are heading for Hagen, in Germany, for the German Shuttlecock Football Open.

The sport, which merges the skills of football and badminton, originated in China, where it is known as Jianzi.

Playing with a 5in shuttlecock, teams use their feet, shoulders and chest to pass the feather ball between each other and over a net, trying to score points against an opposing side.

Consett YMCA chief executive Billy Robson, 53, said: “It is a good game and something a bit different.”

The team includes David Winter, Marcus Peart and Graham Dodds and leaves next Thursday.

Shuttlecock football training sessions costing £1 are held at Consett YMCA every Wednesday, from 5pm to 6pm.