Imogen Bankier will lead Scotland into action at the 2013 European Mixed Team Championships in Russia next week. Scotland today named a squad of eight for the Championships in Ramenskoe, where the Scots will be No. 8 seeds.

Bankier, who won her seventh Yonex Scottish National mixed doubles title at the weekend, already has 42 caps and will build on that when Scotland take on Slovakia and the Czech Republic in Group 8, with Wales having withdrawn from the Championships to leave 27 nations competing. If Scotland top their group they will go into the knockout quarter-finals on Friday week and will almost certainly face top seeds and holders Denmark.

The squad includes a number of Scottish champions with Calum Menzies and Kirsty Gilmour shouldering the singles responsibilities after winning their second National titles at the Bell's Sports Centre in Perth on Sunday.

Four-times women's doubles champion Jillie Cooper, twice a winner with Bankier (who also has four titles) and now champion with Gilmour, gives the women's quartet an experienced look while Caitlin Pringle is named in the squad and could win her first cap in Ramenskoe just outside Moscow.

The men's quartet includes doubles specialists Martin Campbell, Jamie Neill and Paul Van Rietvelde, with new National men's doubles champion Robert Blair not yet eligible for selection since returning from England.

Scotland open their campaign against Slovakia on 12 February at 14.00 hrs local time, then take on the Czech Republic at 10.00 hrs on February 14.

Men
Martin Campbell (Edinburgh, Age 22, 5 caps)
Calum Menzies (Falkirk, Age 26, 5 caps)
Jamie Neill (Hamilton, Age 28, 5 caps)
Paul van Rietvelde (Longniddry, Age 21, 13 caps)

Women
Imogen Bankier (Glasgow, Age 25; 42 caps)
Jillie Cooper (Edinbrugh, Age 24; 31 caps)
Kirsty Gilmour (Bothwell, Age 19; 9 caps)
Caitlin Pringle (Glasgow, Age 19, 0 caps)

Article by Peter Dean. Photo by BadmintonPhoto