Who knew we had a national korfball team?
Taieri College old boy and former Otago Daily Times Class Act recipient Bevan Lawson - that is who.
He has spent the best part of the past 12 months in the Netherlands honing his skills in a game which is a kind of cross between basketball and netball.
Korfball is part game, part celebration in the Netherlands - think brass bands, delicious stuffed sausages, fries with mayonnaise, boisterous and colourful crowds and that unmistakable and infectious atmosphere of tension.
It was the perfect training ground for Lawson (29).
He is a key member of the New Zealand team which will contest the Asia-Oceania championships in Hong Kong beginning this weekend.
The New Zealand team is a long way behind the champion Dutch team in terms of skills but it is improving fast and a good build-up has given the squad a lot of confidence leading into the tournament.
''For as long as I've been involved in korfball, this is the best build-up we've had for a tournament,'' he said.
''It is definitely, by quite a distance, the strongest and most experienced team we've sent away to an international tournament.''
It is a 10-team competition split into two pools of five.
New Zealand is the fifth seed and is in a pool alongside the likes of home team Hong Kong and a strong unit from Chinese Taipei.
New Zealand needs a top-four finish to qualify for the world championships.
''It is entirely possible and quite probable with the team that we have managed to get together,'' Lawson said.
''Chinese Taipei are the world No 3 and they are streaks ahead of everybody else in this part of the world.
''Australia are looking quite strong this time and Hong Kong, China and ourselves are the next three teams fighting it out for the last two qualifying places.''
While there are no clearly defined positions in korfball as there are in netball, Lawson's major role in the New Zealand team is primarily to score and provide leadership.
''I'm one of the shorter guys in the team. I'm 1.7m but it balances out by being able to jump pretty high.''
Korfball is a mixed sex game and speed is arguably more crucial than height because you can use body position to prevent your opponent from scoring.
New Zealand's opening match is against Japan tomorrow.
