Sammy Blair

Sammy Blair
Personal information
NationalityBritish (Northern Irish)
Bornborn 1935[1]
DiedDecember 2010
Sport
SportBadminton
ClubChrist Church BC
Ballymacarrett BC
Medal record
Representing  Northern Ireland
Irish Nationals
1965–70 men's doubles
1964–65 mixed doubles

Samuel Blair (1935 – 2010), was a former international badminton player from Northern Ireland who competed at the Commonwealth Games and was an eight-times champion of Ireland.

Biography

Blair from Carrickfergus,[2] was partnering Ken Carlisle in men's doubles during 1962 and had been capped by the combined Ireland team at international level.[3]

He played club badminton for Christ Church before joining Ballymacarrett in East Belfast during December 1967.[4] He specialised in doubles and partners included Winston Wilkinson[5] and Mary O'Sullivan.

Blair represented the Northern Irish team[6] at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland,[7] where he competed in the doubles events.[8] At the Games, with Wilkinson in the doubles, they reached the quarter final before being knocked out by eventual champions Ng Boon Bee and Punch Gunalan of Malaysia.[9]

He also represented Ulster and by November 1970 had been capped 35 times by Ireland.[10]

He was an eight-times Irish champion at the Irish National Badminton Championships, winning the men's doubles six times with Walter Wilkinson and the mixed doubles twice with Mary O'Sullivan.[11]

Blair died in 2011.[12]

References

  1. ^ "At The Top 10 Years". Ireland's Saturday Night. 11 July 1970. p. 3. Retrieved 11 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "Sammy Blair". Derry Journal. 2 March 1971. p. 7. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Carrick badminton star flies out". Larne Times. 4 January 1962. p. 2. Retrieved 11 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Now Sammy Blair Joins Ballymac". Ireland's Saturday Night. 9 December 1967. p. 7. Retrieved 11 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Sammy Scores". Larne Times. 24 December 1970. p. 11. Retrieved 11 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Guide to the Games". Ireland's Saturday Night. 11 July 1970. p. 3. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Northern Ireland Edinburgh 1970". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  8. ^ "Badminton stars for Edinbugh". Larne Times. 9 July 1970. p. 13. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Blair and Moore out". Larne Times. 23 July 1970. p. 14. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Blair Reprimanded By Ulster Council". Belfast News-Letter. 3 November 1970. p. 7. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Irish Senior Nationals Winners". Badminton Ireland. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  12. ^ "Welcome to Badminton Museum of Ireland". Badminton Museum of Ireland. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
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