The lanky 17-year-old will not have to shell out for expensive rackets and shoes, with badminton product supplier Ashaway agreeing to cover his equipment costs. The company will also provide equipment for two local coaches.
Otago Badminton development officer Jeff Elliotte hopes the new relationship will grow and the company will extend its sponsorship to include sponsoring representative teams.
"The deal has taken some time pulling together and we are in the early stages of the relationship. But we can see a benefit for the sport, local business and the sponsor," he said.
Both wanted to see an up-and-coming player benefit from the deal and Otago Badminton selected Kamil from its academy intake this year.
The Otago Badminton Academy is in its fourth year and is run in conjunction with the Sports Institute at the Otago Polytechnic. Its aim is to provide players with the training skills to push for selection in the senior Otago team.
Kamil has been the leading age-group player in the region and is the top-ranked under-19 player in Otago. Earlier this month, he won the singles, doubles and mixed events at the Otago under-19 championships, and has been selected to represent the South Island at the CP Maddern tournament in Melbourne in July.
It is a big thrill for the relaxed teenager, who took up the sport six years ago after shifting to New Zealand from South Africa.
Kamil has modest goals in the sport. He would like to play for the Otago senior side and be ranked in the top 10 New Zealand players for his age. Other than that he plays for fun and to keep fit. He also plays social basketball and cricket in the summer.
Elliotte described Kamil as an intelligent player who used the leverage his 1.90m frame allowed expertly. Retrieving the shuttle from one of his smashes was quite an achievement.
He is also quick, although not devastatingly so. His long spider-like limbs help him cross the same ground a shorter player has to work much harder to cover. Perhaps his greatest asset, though, is his willingness to graft. He is a patient player who waits for the right opportunity to hammer home any advantage.
Otago Badminton has a big year ahead of it. It is hosting two South Island junior events - the under-19 team championships during Queen's Birthday weekend, and the under-15 and under-17 teams and individual championships on July 11-16. It is also celebrating its 75th jubilee year.
