BLAIR Robert/Anthony Clark

**seawell** · 11-22-2006, 12:21 AM

Robert Blair (born 7 August 1981) is a male badminton player from Great Britain.

2006 WC MD RUNNER-UP!

My personal details

Date of Birth: 7 August 1981
Place of Birth: Edinburgh
Living: Milton Keynes
Right/Left hand: Right
Height: 6ft 1in
Racket: Yonex, Armortec 700
Sponsors: Yonex, Rapid Repairs
Highest world ranking: 6 Mixed Doubles, 14 Mens Doubles
Highest national ranking: 2 Mixed Doubles, 1 Mens Doubles

About me on court

Event(s): Mens and Mixed Doubles
Partner(s): Natalie Munt & Anthony Clark
Coach(es): Julian Robertson
County/Team: Buckinghamshire
Started badminton at age: 8
How I got started: My mum coached badminton
Ambition as badminton player: Olympic medal
First represented England: -v- Nigeria in the 2002 Commonwealth Games
Season’s best performance: Semi-final Hong Kong 2005. Greece Open 2005 winner
Best performance of career: World championship men's doubles runner-up in Madrid 2006 with Anthony Clark. Indonesia Open Finalist Mixed 2004
Major national achievements: English Nationals Final Mixed & Mens Doubles 2005
Major international achievements: Bulgarian Open 2001, Scottish Open 2001/02, Irish Open 2001/02, Austrian Open 2002, Portuguese Open Mens Doubles 2004, Greece Open 2005 Mens Doubles Member of silver-medal winning team at 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and won men's doubles bronze with Anthony Clark.
Biggest disappointment: Losing to Cai Yun & Fu Haifeng (China), All England 2005
Favourite tournament: ALL ENGLAND
Toughest opponent: Cai Yun & Fu Haifeng, China
Best friend on the circuit: Nathan Rice
The one change I would make to improve my sport: More money and more TV coverage. Cheerleaders would be nice!

About me off court

My occupation/ professional qualification: Badminton Player
Significant others: None
My hobbies/ pets: Golf
My car: Clio
Most embarrassing happening: Wearing shorts back to front in English Nationals semi-final 2003
Favourite food: Chinese – aromatic duck
Favourite city or country: Singapore
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Superstition: None
If not badminton, then I would be Anything not in an office!
My personality in a nutshell: Laidback, quiet

http://www.badmintonengland.co.uk/sh...r.asp?itemID=9

**seawell** · 11-22-2006, 12:28 AM

Anthony Clark and DonnaKellogg!

My personal details

Date of Birth: 1st November 1977
Place of Birth: Derby
Living: Leicestershire
Right/Left hand: Left
Height: 5ft 8in
Racket: Carlton
Sponsors: Carlton, Hi Tec,
Highest world ranking: 6
Highest national ranking: 1

About me on court
Event(s): Mens Doubles, Mixed Doubles
Partner(s): Robert Blair / Donna Kellogg
Coach(es): Julian Robertson / Peter Jeffrey County/Team: Nottinghamshire
Started badminton at age: 12
How I got started: Dad was a very good player
Ambition as badminton player: To be as good as Rexy
First represented England: 1998. 49 England caps
Season’s best performance: World championship runner-up in men's doubles with Robert Blair and runner-up in mixed with Donna Kellogg. Final of German Open 2006, S/F of Swiss 2006, S/F of Hong Kong 2005.
Best performance of career: Beating Sigit and Wijaya 15-9, 15-2 and beating Gao Ling and Zang Jun in China.
National results: Three times National champion with Nathan Robertson up to 2004; 2005 champion with Simon Archer
Major national achievements: National Junior Champion and Senior National Champion (x4)
Major international achievements: 2x European silver medal (with Nathan Robertson), 2 Commonwealth bronze medals. Member of silver-medal winning 2006 Commonwealth Games team, another bronze in men's doubles with Robert Blair.

Biggest disappointment: Not winning golds at the Commonwealth Games individuals
Favourite tournament: Commonwealth Games European Championships
Toughest opponent: Jens Eriksen
Best friend on the circuit: Peter Jeffrey (cause he says so!)
The one change I would make to improve my sport: To have a separate tour for men and women (as in tennis)

About me off court
My occupation/ professional qualification: Badminton player
When not playing: I spend time at home with my wife Emma, daughter Mia (4) and Rowan (2 1/2).
My car: Rover streetwise and Ford Mondeo
Favourite city or country: England
Favourite holiday destination: Anywhere as long as it is hot
Superstition: Don’t have any
If not badminton, then I would be a cricketer (once knocked Andrew Flintoff’s middle stump out of the ground)
In 10 years time: I'd like to still be involved in badminton. We need to see better younger players coming through

**KZ** · 11-22-2006, 08:23 AM

Rob is quite young...hope he can achieve more in badminton....and he had hair...

**ants** · 11-22-2006, 08:41 AM

Yeah i agree.. he is a nice chap. Both plays well actually. But lacks in maturity in the game compare to the others.

**Baderz_Jas** · 11-22-2006, 09:44 AM

thanks seawell

yeah Robert is young

did he shave his hair

nice to hear that his favourite food is Chinese

lol

**emmsfan** · 11-23-2006, 07:23 AM

Eriksen said that his best friend on the circuit is Anthny Clark, but Clark says he's the toughest opponent. Weird. Anyway, I think that it was just luck that they got a medal in the WC2006.They didn't have many tough opponents, just the Indonesians and the former world champs. Paaske and Rasmussen haven't played together for a long time then.