Robert Blair (badminton)
| Robert Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 August 1981 Edinburgh, Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed & men's doubles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 6 (in XD) 4 (in MD) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| BWF profile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert Blair (born 7 August 1981) is a Scottish badminton player.
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 Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun.
Achievements[]
World Championships[]
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid, Madrid, Spain |  Anthony Clark
|
 Cai Yun Fu Haifeng
|
9–21, 13–21 |  Silver
|
Commonwealth Games[]
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia | Anthony Clark
|
 Ashley Brehaut Travis Denney
|
21–6, 21–14 |  Bronze
|
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland | Imogen Bankier
|
 Chan Peng Soon Lai Pei Jing
|
21–17, 21–11 | Bronze
|
European Championships[]
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Maaspoort, Den Bosch, Netherlands | Anthony Clark
|
 Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen
|
17–21, 21–11, 18–21 | Bronze
|
World Grand Prix[]
The BWF Grand Prix has two level such as Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It is a series of badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF) since 2007. The World Badminton Grand Prix has been sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation since 1983.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | German Open | Anthony Clark
|
 Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae
|
11–15, 6–15 |  Runner-up
|
| 2005 | Thessaloniki World Grand Prix | Anthony Clark
|
 Michael Fuchs Roman Spitko
|
15–6, 15–9 |  Winner
|
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Scottish Open | Imogen Bankier
|
Niclas Nohr Sara Thygesen
|
21–18, 21–14 | Winner
|
| 2014 | German Open | Imogen Bankier
|
Ko Sung-hyun Kim Ha-na
|
21–15, 21–18 | Winner
|
| 2013 | Scottish Open | Imogen Bankier
|
Chris Langridge Heather Olver
|
21–16, 21–14 | Winner
|
| 2011 | German Open | Gabrielle White
|
 Shintaro Ikeda Reiko Shiota
|
16–21, 21–16, 21–15 | Winner
|
| 2010 | German Open | Imogen Bankier
|
 Yohan Hadikusumo Wiratama Tse Ying Suet
|
5–15 Retired | Runner-up
|
| 2007 | Bitburger Open | Imogen Bankier
|
Kristof Hopp Birgit Overzier
|
17–21, 17–21 | Runner-up
|
| 2006 | Dutch Open | Jenny Wallwork
|
 Flandy Limpele Vita Marissa
|
21–18, 21–18 | Winner
|
| 2006 | Swiss Open | Natalie Munt
|
Nathan Robertson Gail Emms
|
17–14, 7–15, 2–15 | Runner-up
|
| 2005 | Thessaloniki World Grand Prix | Natalie Munt
|
Anthony Clark Donna Kellogg
|
4–15, 15–6, 13–15 | Runner-up
|
| 2004 | Indonesia Open | Natalie Munt
|
Zhang Jun Gao Ling
|
9–15, 9–15 | Runner-up
|
- BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
- BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series[]
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Swiss International | Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth
|
 Bodin Issara Savitree Amitrapai
|
18–21, 25–23, 21–18 | Winner
|
| 2014 | Spanish Open | Imogen Bankier
|
 Robert Mateusiak Agnieszka Wojtkowska
|
21–13, 14–21, 21–16 | Winner
|
| 2014 | Orleans International | Imogen Bankier
|
Niclas Nohr Sara Thygesen
|
21–13, 19–21, 21–18 | Winner
|
| 2014 | Swedish Masters | Imogen Bankier
|
Peter Kaesbauer Isabel Herttrich
|
24–22, 14–21, 21–16 | Winner
|
| 2013 | Irish Open | Imogen Bankier
|
 Jacco Arends Selena Piek
|
21–9, 19–21, 13–21 | Runner-up
|
| 2013 | Bulgarian International | Imogen Bankier
|
Robert Mateusiak Agnieszka Wojtkowska
|
21–17, 21–15 | Winner
|
| 2013 | Kharkiv International | Imogen Bankier
|
Kim Astrup Maria Helsbol
|
20–22, 21–9, 21–18 | Winner
|
| 2013 | French International | Imogen Bankier
|
Marcus Ellis Alyssa Lim
|
21–17, 21–17 | Winner
|
| 2007 | Scottish Open | Imogen Bankier
|
 Alexandr Nikolaenko Nina Vislova
|
15–21, 22–20, 21–9 | Winner
|
| 2001 | Scottish Open | Natalie Munt
|
 William Milroy Denyse Julien
|
8–6, 7–1, 8–6 | Winner
|
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF International Series/ European Circuit tournament
|} Mixed Doubles with Imogen Bankier'
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | |||
| 2014 Spanish Open | Spain | Winner | |
| 2014 French International | France | Winner | |
| 2014 German Open Grand Prix Gold | Germany | Winner | |
| 2014 Caperio Swedish Masters | Sweden | Winner | |
| 2013 | |||
| 2013 Babolat Kharkov International | Ukraine | Winner | |
| 2013 Bulgarian International | Bulgaria | Winner | |
| 2013 Scottish Open Grand Prix | Scotland | Winner | |
| 2013 Carlton Irish Open | Ireland | Runner-up | |
| 2013 Yonex Belgian International | Belgium | Semifinal | |
| 2013 French International | France | Winner | |
| 2010 | |||
| 2010 German Open Grand Prix Gold | Germany | Runner-up | |
| 2008 | |||
| 2008 Denmark Open Super Series | Denmark | Semifinal | |
| 2007 | |||
| 2007 Scottish International Championships | Scotland | Winner | |
| 2007 Bitburger Open | Germany | Runner-up |
Mixed Doubles with Gabrielle White
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | |||
| 2011 Malaysia Open Super Series | Malaysia | Semifinal | |
| 2011 German Open Grand Prix Gold | Germany | Winner |
Mixed Doubles with Natalie Munt
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | |||
| 2006 Wilson Swiss Open | Switzerland | Runner-up | |
| 2004 | |||
| 2004 Djarum Indonesia Open | Indonesia | Runner-up | |
| 2003 | |||
| 2003 Spanish Open International | Spain | Winner | |
| 2002 | |||
| 2002 Scottish International | Scotland | Winner | |
| 2001 | |||
| 2001 Scottish Open International | Scotland | Winner | |
| 2001 Irish Open International | Ireland | Winner | |
| 2001 Bulgarian Open International | Bulgaria | Winner |
Mixed Doubles with Jenny Wallwork
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | |||
| 2006 Big Boss Dutch Open | Netherlands | Winner |
Mixed Doubles with Jillie Cooper
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | |||
| 2012 Babolat Bulgarian International | Bulgaria | Semifinal |
Men's Doubles with Paul Van Rietvelde
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | |||
| 2010 Bank of Scotland International Badminton Championships | Scotland | Semifinal |
Men's Doubles with Tan Bin Shen
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | |||
| 2013 Scottish Open Grand Prix | Scotland | Semifinal | |
| 2012 | |||
| 2012 Babolat Bulgarian International | Bulgaria | Winner | |
| 2012 Irish International | Ireland | Semifinal | |
| 2012 Turkiye International | Turkey | Winner |
Men's Doubles with
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | |||
| 1998 Open de Toulouse | France | Semifinal |
Men's Doubles with
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | |||
| 2002 Irish International | Ireland | Winner |
Men's Doubles with David Lindley
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | |||
| 2007 Scottish International Championships | Scotland | Winner | |
| 2007 Bitburger Open | Germany | Runner-up |
Men's Doubles with
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | |||
| 2000 New Zealand International | New Zealand | Semifinal | |
| 2000 Slovenia International | Slovenia | Semifinal |
Men's Doubles with Stephen Foster
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | |||
| 2001 Irish International | Ireland | Winner |
Men's Doubles with Anthony Clark
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | |||
| 2006 Singapore Open | Singapore | Semifinal | |
| 2006 German Open | Germany | Runner-up | |
| 2005 | |||
| 2005 Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Badminton Championship | Hong Kong | Semifinal | |
| 2005 World Grand Prix | Greece | Winner |
Men's Doubles with Simon Archer
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | |||
| 2004 Portuguese International | Portugal | Winner | |
| 2003 | |||
| 2003 Irish International | Ireland | Semifinal |
Men's Doubles with James Anderson
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | |||
| 2002 Austrian International | Austria | Winner |
Men's Doubles with Chris Adcock
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | |||
| 2009 German Open | Germany | Semifinal |
Record against selected opponents[]
Mixed Doubles results with Gabrielle White against Super Series finalists, World Championships semifinalists, and Olympic quarterfinalists.[6]
Tao Jiaming & Tian Qing 0–1- Xu Chen & Ma Jin 0–3
- Zhang Nan & Zhao Yunlei 0–1
Chen Hung-ling & Cheng Wen-hsing 0–1
Joachim Fischer Nielsen & Christinna Pedersen 0–1- Thomas Laybourn & Kamilla Rytter Juhl 0–1
Chris Adcock & Imogen Bankier 1–1
Tantowi Ahmad & Lilyana Natsir 0–2
Yoo Yeon-seong & Jang Ye-na 0–1- Ko Sung-hyun & Yoo Yeon-seong 2–1
Robert Mateusiak & Nadiezda Zieba 0–1
Songphon Anugritayawon & Kunchala Voravichitchaikul 2–1- Sudket Prapakamol & Saralee Thoungthongkam 1–2
References[]
- ^ "Blair returns to Scotland". badmintonengland.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011.
- ^ Robert Returns to Scotland
- ^ Blair returns home after fall-out with England
- ^ "Badminton: Defector Robert Blair quits England and returns to Scotland". The Scotsman.
- ^ There may be more to Blair's return to Scotland to train than meets the eye
- ^ "tournamentsoftware.com". tournamentsoftware.com.
External links[]
- 1981 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Edinburgh
- Anglo-Scots
- Scottish male badminton players
- English male badminton players
- Alumni of Loughborough University
- Badminton players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Olympic badminton players of Great Britain
- Badminton players at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
- Badminton players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England
- Badminton players at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Scotland
- Commonwealth Games medallists in badminton