Robert Blair (badminton)

Last updated

Robert Blair
Badminton-robert blair.jpg
Personal information
CountryScotland
Born (1981-08-07) 7 August 1981 (age 42)
Edinburgh, Scotland
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
HandednessRight
Mixed & men's doubles
Highest ranking6 (in XD)
4 (in MD)
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2014 Glasgow Mixed doubles
Representing Flag of England.svg  England
World Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2006 Madrid Men's doubles
Sudirman Cup
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2007 Glasgow Mixed team
European Mixed Team Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2009 Liverpool Mixed team
European Men's Team Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2008 Almere Men's team
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2006 Thessalonica Men's team
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2006 Melbourne Mixed team
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2006 Melbourne Men's doubles
BWF profile

Robert Blair (born 7 August 1981) is a Scottish badminton player.

Contents

Blair was born in Scotland, but after attending Loughborough University in Leicestershire, he competed for England from 2001 until 2010, except at the Olympic Games, where Scotland and England are both parts of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team. His main motivation for changing nation was the prospect of medals at the Commonwealth Games.

On 16 December 2010 Badminton England and Badminton Scotland announced that Blair would be returning to Scotland. [1] [2] The reason(s) for Blair's return to Scotland remain unclear, but reports suggest a falling-out with members of the Badminton England setup was central to the decision. [3] [4] [5]

Career

Blair competed in badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in mixed doubles with partner Natalie Munt. They defeated Tadashi Ohtsuka and Shizuka Yamamoto of Japan in the first round but lost to Nova Widianto and Vita Marissa of Indonesia in the round of 16.

Blair reached the men's doubles final at the 2006 IBF World Championships together with Anthony Clark, losing the final against Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng.

Achievements

World Championships

Men's doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2006 Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid, Madrid, Spain Flag of England.svg Anthony Clark Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Cai Yun
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Fu Haifeng
9–21, 13–21 Med 2.png Silver

Commonwealth Games

Men's doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2006 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia Flag of England.svg Anthony Clark Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ashley Brehaut
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Travis Denney
21–6, 21–14 Med 3.png Bronze

Mixed doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2014 Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Malaysia.svg Chan Peng Soon
Flag of Malaysia.svg Lai Pei Jing
21–17, 21–11 Med 3.png Bronze

European Championships

Men's doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2006 Maaspoort, Den Bosch, Netherlands Flag of England.svg Anthony Clark Flag of Denmark.svg Mathias Boe
Flag of Denmark.svg Carsten Mogensen
17–21, 21–11, 18–21 Med 3.png Bronze

BWF Grand Prix

The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017. The World Badminton Grand Prix was sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation from 1983 to 2006.

Men's doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2005 Thessaloniki World Grand Prix Flag of England.svg Anthony Clark Flag of Germany.svg Michael Fuchs
Flag of Germany.svg Roman Spitko
15–6, 15–9Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2006 German Open Flag of England.svg Anthony Clark Flag of South Korea.svg Jung Jae-sung
Flag of South Korea.svg Lee Yong-dae
11–15, 6–15Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2007 Bitburger Open Flag of England.svg David Lindley Flag of Denmark.svg Mathias Boe
Flag of Denmark.svg Carsten Mogensen
17–21, 15–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up

Mixed doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2004 Indonesia Open Flag of England.svg Natalie Munt Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhang Jun
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Gao Ling
9–15, 9–15Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2005 Thessaloniki World Grand Prix Flag of England.svg Natalie Munt Flag of England.svg Anthony Clark
Flag of England.svg Donna Kellogg
4–15, 15–6, 13–15Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2006 Swiss Open Flag of England.svg Natalie Munt Flag of England.svg Nathan Robertson
Flag of England.svg Gail Emms
17–14, 7–15, 2–15Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2006 Dutch Open Flag of England.svg Jenny Wallwork Flag of Indonesia.svg Flandy Limpele
Flag of Indonesia.svg Vita Marissa
21–18, 21–18Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2007 Bitburger Open Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Germany.svg Kristof Hopp
Flag of Germany.svg Birgit Overzier
17–21, 17–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2010 German Open Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Hong Kong.svg Yohan Hadikusumo Wiratama
Flag of Hong Kong.svg Tse Ying Suet
5–15 retiredSilver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2011 German Open Flag of England.svg Gabrielle White Flag of Japan.svg Shintaro Ikeda
Flag of Japan.svg Reiko Shiota
16–21, 21–16, 21–15Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2013 Scottish Open Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of England.svg Chris Langridge
Flag of England.svg Heather Olver
21–16, 21–14Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2014 German Open Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of South Korea.svg Ko Sung-hyun
Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Ha-na
21–15, 21–18Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2014 Scottish Open Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Denmark.svg Niclas Nøhr
Flag of Denmark.svg Sara Thygesen
21–18, 21–14Gold medal icon.svgWinner
  BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
  BWF & IBF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series

Men's doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2000 New Zealand International Flag of Scotland.svg Russell Hogg Flag of New Zealand.svg John Gordon
Flag of New Zealand.svg Daniel Shirley
16–17, 7–15Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2000 Irish International Flag of Scotland.svg Russell Hogg Flag of Scotland.svg Alastair Gatt
Flag of Scotland.svg Craig Robertson
15–12, 12–15, 5–15Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2001Irish International Flag of England.svg Stephen Foster Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Mike Beres
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kyle Hunter
7–3, 7–3, 6–8, 8–7Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2002 Austrian International Flag of England.svg James Anderson Flag of England.svg Peter Jeffrey
Flag of England.svg Ian Palethorpe
7–2, 7–3, 7–5Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2002Irish International Flag of England.svg Ian Palethorpe Flag of England.svg Peter Jeffrey
Flag of England.svg Julian Robertson
15–5, 14–17, 15–9Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2004 Portugal International Flag of England.svg Simon Archer Flag of Hong Kong.svg Liu Kwok Wa
Flag of Hong Kong.svg Albertus Susanto Njoto
15–9, 12–15, 15–7Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2007 Scottish International Flag of England.svg David Lindley Flag of Russia.svg Vitalij Durkin
Flag of Russia.svg Aleksandr Nikolaenko
21–18, 21–12Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2012 Bulgarian International Flag of Malaysia.svg Tan Bin Shen Flag of Germany.svg Andreas Heinz
Flag of Germany.svg Max Schwenger
18–21, 25–23, 21–18Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2012 Turkey International Flag of Malaysia.svg Tan Bin Shen Flag of Sweden.svg Magnus Sahlberg
Flag of Sweden.svg Mattias Wigardt
21–11, 21–15Gold medal icon.svgWinner

Mixed doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2001 Bulgarian International Flag of England.svg Natalie Munt Flag of England.svg Paul Trueman
Flag of England.svg Liza Parker
4–7, 4–7, 7–2, –, –Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2001 Scottish International Flag of England.svg Natalie Munt Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg William Milroy
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Denyse Julien
8–6, 7–1, 8–6Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2001 Irish International Flag of England.svg Natalie Munt Flag of Denmark.svg Bo Rafn
Flag of Denmark.svg Helle Nielsen
7–4, 3–7, 7–1, 7–5Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2002Scottish International Flag of England.svg Natalie Munt Flag of Russia.svg Nikolai Zuyev
Flag of Russia.svg Marina Yakusheva
6–11, 13–12, 11–9Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2003 Spanish International Flag of England.svg Natalie Munt Flag of Sweden.svg Jörgen Olsson
Flag of Sweden.svg Frida Andreasson
17–16, 15–10Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2007Scottish International Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Russia.svg Aleksandr Nikolaenko
Flag of Russia.svg Nina Vislova
15–21, 22–20, 21–9Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2013 French International Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of England.svg Marcus Ellis
Flag of England.svg Alyssa Lim
21–17, 21–17Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2013 Kharkiv International Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Denmark.svg Kim Astrup
Flag of Denmark.svg Maria Helsbøl
20–22, 21–9, 21–18Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2013Bulgarian International Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Poland.svg Robert Mateusiak
Flag of Poland.svg Agnieszka Wojtkowska
21–17, 21–15Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2013Irish Open Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of the Netherlands.svg Jacco Arends
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Selena Piek
21–9, 19–21, 13–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2014 Swedish Masters Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Germany.svg Peter Käsbauer
Flag of Germany.svg Isabel Herttrich
24–22, 14–21, 21–16Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2014Orleans International Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Denmark.svg Niclas Nøhr
Flag of Denmark.svg Sara Thygesen
21–13, 19–21, 21–18Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2014Spanish Open Flag of Scotland.svg Imogen Bankier Flag of Poland.svg Robert Mateusiak
Flag of Poland.svg Agnieszka Wojtkowska
21–13, 14–21, 21–16Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2015 Swiss International Flag of Indonesia.svg Pia Zebadiah Bernadet Flag of Thailand.svg Bodin Isara
Flag of Thailand.svg Savitree Amitrapai
18–21, 25–23, 21–18Gold medal icon.svgWinner
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series/ European Circuit tournament

Record against selected opponents

Mixed Doubles results with Gabrielle White against Super Series finalists, World Championships semifinalists, and Olympic quarterfinalists. [6]

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References

  1. "Blair returns to Scotland". badmintonengland.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011.
  2. Robert Returns to Scotland
  3. Blair returns home after fall-out with England
  4. "Badminton: Defector Robert Blair quits England and returns to Scotland". The Scotsman.
  5. There may be more to Blair's return to Scotland to train than meets the eye
  6. "tournamentsoftware.com". tournamentsoftware.com.