Badminton: Black lands manager’s role for 2014

Edinburgh’s Christine Black has been named Team Scotland’s badminton manager for Glasgow 2014.

Black, a mixed doubles bronze medallist at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, is an experienced team leader, having managed Scotland’s 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games teams. She is also immediate past president of Badminton Scotland and is still a regular competitor at the highest level on the international circuit in senior badminton.

She said: “You can’t beat leading a squad at a home Commonwealth Games and it is a role I will be performing with great pride. I had the honour of competing for Scotland in Edinburgh in 1986. Now I get to lead the team at Glasgow 2014. It doesn’t get much better.”

Anne Smillie, Chief Executive of Badminton Scotland, said: “Christine has all the experience required to do the job and having her at the helm will give our young players great confidence.”

Black, who made 56 international appearances for Scotland between 1977-1990, has a great family link with the Commonwealth Games. Her husband Chris was twice a Commonwealth Games medallist in the hammer while her uncle Sir Peter Heatly was a triple gold medallist in diving and a former chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation.