Badminton player Robert Blair, who switched his allegiance to England Badminton in 2001, is to return to Badminton Scotland colours, it was confirmed last night.

The 29-year-old won World Badminton Championship silver during his estrangement but has been locked in a battle to salvage his international badminton career since August, when he was surprisingly excluded from Badminton England’s Commonwealth Games team for Delhi. This was followed by a demand that he stay away from the Great Britain and Badminton England training base at Milton Keynes and he was obliged to return to Glasgow, where he has subsequently been training with Badminton Scotland players.

“The coaches did not follow the Games selection criteria,” said Blair. “I appealed and won unanimously, but Badminton England then asked me not to appeal any decision. The rules are there to protect players. It’s a denial of basic rights. I am very disappointed to be treated like this after giving them a lot of success over the years.

“I feel my career has been jeopardised. There were complaints about my attitude, but these were not upheld at a review. I am pleased they were given no credence, otherwise I would no longer be on the programme. Now I will be returning to practise at Milton Keynes within the next few days.”

His transfer back to the country of his birth was predicted in Herald Sport (Aug 27) “ . . . the possibility of a permanent return to Scottish colours for Robert Blair cannot be discounted”.

The Glasgow-based player, who has been the subject of attempts to drop him from UK funding, faces a further battle to stay on the GB programme, whose resources were slashed last week by £540,000. Blair confirmed last night that, because of his enforced absence from tournaments, it is impossible for him to fulfill the necessary criteria. “I basically have two tournaments to do something exceptional.”

Ranked as high as world No.5 in men’s doubles and No.6 in mixed, he will turn out as a Scotland player in two tournaments next month. He will play men’s doubles with Flandy Limpele, of Indonesia, and mixed with England’s Gabby White, kicking off a campaign to win Olympic selection in 2012 as he requalifies to reprent Scotland. “The aim is to represent Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,” he said. He has GB funding for these tournaments but faces a review at the end of January.

A personality clash between Blair and his England rival Nathan Robertson, along with national coach Andy Wood, is understood to be at the centre of the row. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Wood has been protecting Robertson. Robertson has not practised with Blair since Blair and Scotland’s Imogen Bankier convincingly beat him and Jenny Wallwork in the second round of the Danish Super Series tournament in 2008. Robertson and Wallwork were being touted as a potential 2012 Olympic medal pairing. Blair and Bankier were then split up.

Badminton web forums have been full of critical comment, calling for the resignation of Engand chief executive officer Adrian Christie and Wood.

Blair, contractually gagged by UK Sport from commenting on matters affecting his GB status, is delighted to be back in the Scottish fold and confirmed the move last night after a review of his case cleared him of any misconduct at Milton Keynes.

Anne Smillie, chief executive of badmintonscotland, said: “Robert is a world-class player and Scotland have world-class players in the making, as well as world-class training facilities. Working alongside a player of Robert’s experience can only benefit our young players.”

Blair said it was “time to go back to being a player affiliated to my home country. The possibility of representing Badminton Scotland in the future, and especially at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, is very exciting.

“I’ve enjoyed considerable success during my time with Badminton England, but circumstances have changed and I believe it is now in my best interest to make this change. I am very much looking forward to playing a part in bringing on some of the very talented young Badminton Scotland players.”