Badminton: Defector Robert Blair quits England and returns to Scotland

ROBERT Blair, the former Scotland badminton internationalist who has represented England for the last eight years, has decided to return to the Scotland fold.

Edinburgh-born Blair caused a stir when he elected to switch his allegiance to England in 2001. He went on to win a bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and he was runner-up at the World Championships the same year. He also represented Great Britain in the men's doubles at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Blair, 29, who has been ranked as high as No 5 in the world in men's doubles and No 6 in mixed doubles, will spend the next three years requalifying so that he can represent Scotland in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

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Blair will be one of the few sportsmen who has changed countries and then switched back again but Baminton Scotland chief executive Anne Smillie welcomed his return. "This is great news for Scotland," she said. "Robert is a world-class player and Scotland have world-class players in the making as well as world-class training facilities.

"We now have a strong new coaching set-up in place and Robert has already worked with Yvette Yun Luo and John Quinn in England. I, for one, am looking forward to him representing Scotland again."

The Badminton World Federation has been advised that Blair will fall under the jurisdiction of Badminton Scotland.

"I have decided that it is time for me to go back to being a player affiliated to my home country. The possibility of representing Scotland in the future, and especially at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, is a very exciting one," said Blair.

"I have enjoyed considerable success during my time with England, but circumstances have changed and I believe it is now in my best interest to make this change."