IMOGEN BANKIER today threw her full weight behind the Commonwealth Games in her home city of Glasgow in 2014 by resigning from the GB Programme and returning to Scotland for the next phase of her badminton career. The decision is a real boost for Scottish badminton, especially coming just a week after Bankier’s Team GB team-mate Susan Egelstaff announced her retirement.

“Helping Scotland to achieve Commonwealth Games success is a major goal for me and I know that BADMINTONscotland will do everything in their power to put the necessary support in place, not just for me, but for the whole team", said Bankier.

BADMINTONscotland Chief Executive Anne Smillie said: “Naturally we are delighted that Imogen has decided to base herself back in Scotland and concentrate her efforts and commitment on bringing success to Scotland at Glasgow 2014. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to do well at a Commonwealth Games in their own back yard?

“She has already had a great partnership with England’s Chris Adcock and that success has done so much to raise badminton’s profile in Scotland. Now we look forward to her teaming up with Scotland players while also encouraging our emerging young talent to follow in her footsteps.”

Bankier gained widespread international recognition at Wembley Arena in August last year when she and Adcock won an unexpected silver medal in the mixed doubles at the Yonex BWF World Championships and broke into the top 10 in the world rankings.

In April they followed that success by winning a bronze medal at the European Championships in Sweden, a performance which secured their Olympic place in the Team GB squad for London 2012.

Although they failed to reproduce their world silver medal form on their return to Wembley at London 2012, the partnership ended on a high at the weekend when Bankier and Adcock produced some big wins to reach the semi-final of the Yonex French Open.

But Commonwealth Games eligibility rules would not permit them to play together in Glasgow 2014 so she now feels this is the right time to direct her focus and energy to the Glasgow 2014 countdown, although there will be a short break from competition this next month as she recovers from a knee problem.

Bankier, who will be 25 in mid-November, already has a string of titles on the Badminton Europe circuit to her name. She has already made 42 Scotland appearances since her debut in 2005 and as well as her world silver and European bronze medals with Adcock in the last 15 months, she has won international titles in Italy, Ireland and at the Scottish International Championships with Adcock in 2010 and with Robert Blair in 2007.

To reflect her all-round doubles skill, she has also won women’s doubles titles in 2005-2006 at the Irish, Norwegian and Icelandic Championships on the way to being European Badminton Circuit doubles champion.

On the domestic front Bankier has already won the Yonex Scottish National mixed doubles title six years in a row since 2005 and also won the women’s doubles title four times since 2008.

Press release by BADMINTONscotland (edited), Photo by BadmintonPhoto