IBM_March_2016

Imogen Bankier Retires
To Pursue Business Career
ImogenBankier
RetiresToPursue
BusinessCareer
World Silver Medal winner Imogen Bankier announced her retirement
from badminton at the end of 2015 to pursue a business career,
admitting she no longer had the required motivation to compete at the
highest level.
The 28 year-old Scot leaves the sport to help establish a
Paris branch of The Whisky Shop, set up by her father Ian, the
chairman of Celtic Football Club and Executive Chairman of
Glenkeir Whiskies Ltd.
“It is not a decision I’ve taken lightly,” admitted Bankier.
“I’ve taken almost a full year to contemplate while I’ve played a
little bit and trained a little bit.”
“I achieved so much early on and I feel like I’ve got to the stage
where there’s nothing left that is really driving me forward.
“It is such a hard lifestyle to maintain when you are not 100 per
cent motivated and, when you have done it for more than ten
years, it takes its toll.
“I felt it was a good time to call it a day and move on to
something new.”
With English partner Chris Adcock, Bankier won silver in the
Mixed Doubles at the 2011 World Championships, defeating four
seeds before losing to Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei, the World
No.1 pair, in the final.
The pair followed that with bronze at the European
Championships the following year, before Bankier split from
the Great Britain programme after a first-round defeat at the
London 2012 Olympics, saying she did not believe it would help
her qualify for Rio in 2016.
Bankier teamed up with Robert Blair to win a bronze medal at
the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow before taking a
sabbatical from the sport and announcing she would not try to
qualify for the Olympics because of difficulties over finding a
new partner.
“I’ve achieved many of the goals I set out to achieve when I
was ten years old and decided I wanted to go down the path of
playing badminton,” said Bankier.
Bankier admitted the World Championships silver medal was her
career high.
“It was a euphoric week, really fantastic, out of the blue,”
admitted arguably Scotland’s most successful player of the
modern era.
“It was absolutely incredible and I will always remember that
week as being the highlight of my badminton career.
“I think also the Commonwealth Games, the timing of it, the
moment I shared with Robert, who was my long-standing
partner.
“To win a Commonwealth medal in my home city of Glasgow was
incredibly special.”
Bankier added that leaving the sport now gives her a chance to
“start afresh in a brand new career”, adding: “I knew I had other
ambitions and things I wanted to do and achieve and explore
while I’m still young and not in my late 30s.”
I’ve achieved many of the goals I set out to achieve
when I was ten years old and decided I wanted to go down
the path of playing badminton
Imogen Bankier
INTERNATIONALBADMINTONMAGAZINE March 2016 | 13
www.isportgroup.com/InternationalBadmintonMagazine