ROBERT BLAIR stood impassively on the podium, gazing into the distance.

A Commonwealth bronze medal hung around his neck, glinting under the lights of the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre as the anthem began to play and the flags were raised. Beside him, beaming partner Anthony Clark was wrapped in the Cross of St George, bursting with patriotic pride at having medalled in the men's doubles badminton. The contrast was marked.

Professionally, Blair was delighted, even if his lugubrious look suggested otherwise. He had achieved something special for himself, for his partner, for his coach. But as he summoned a smile for the photographers, his thoughts were clouded by confusion. "It wasn't the way I dreamed it when I was younger," he says, reflecting ruefully on that March afternoon in 2006. Not only did his childhood reverie involve him being a footballer, it also placed him at Hampden in a Scotland shirt rather than in Australia dressed in an England tracksuit. "It was bizarre; I remember standing there thinking how strange it all was. But that was the decision I made so I couldn't really complain if those were the consequences of doing well."

The "decision" was made in 2001, although Blair's choice of word fails to consider the circumstances that led to him representing England. Having swapped Longniddry for Loughborough when he moved to university, badminton was initially little more than a hobby but soon took precedence over his maths degree and so set in motion a chain of events that, by his own admission, got somewhat out of hand.

"I just kind of fell into it," he says. "At the time there were no opportunities with Scotland and I thought it was something I'd do for a year or so; get some money, play in a couple of tournaments and get some experience. I didn't really think through the ramifications because I did far better than I ever thought I would. I just thought it was something to do for a couple of years then I'd go off and get a job."

Instead, his exile lasted nine years. Blair first donned England colours at the Manchester Games in 2002, before going on to win bronze in Melbourne and World Championship silver the same year, but ask him about his Commonwealth memories and the recollections are of the cities rather than the competitions. That being so, did he consider reversing his decision? "By then, I had made commitments to my partner and coaches so it was too late," he insists.

"There were occasions I felt very awkward about playing and I really didn't want to play against Scotland but they insisted. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I just had to tell myself 'okay, this is my job and I need to go out and earn'. I'd have been more passionate had it been for Scotland but that just wasn't possible at the time."

It is possible now, though, which is why Blair is looking towards next summer with such enthusiasm. The 32-year-old returned north in 2010, having been suddenly dropped from the England team for Delhi and banned from the GB training centre in Milton Keynes. It was understood that a personality clash between Blair and rival Nathan Robertson - stemming from a 2008 event in which Blair and Imogen Bankier had beaten the Englishman and Jenny Wallwork - was at the centre of the row, with suggestions that national coach Andy Wood was protecting Robertson. "There was a lot of political stuff going on . . ." says Blair, archly, opting not to expand.

Indeed, the Scots were split in the aftermath of that controversial win but have since rekindled relations in Glasgow and will be among "five or six pairs" who believe they can triumph in the mixed doubles next summer. Key to that will be earning the requisite ranking points to ensure a good seeding but the signs are encouraging, the partnership having recorded a series of strong results despite suffering a series of niggling injuries.

The most recent of those came on Monday when Bankier rolled an ankle just minutes from the end of their morning session. That casts doubt on their chances of competing in next week's Scottish Open but Blair remains relaxed about the prognosis. "I heard a scream and turned round but I think she'll be okay," he said, just minutes after helping his partner off the court.

Blair's diagnosis is informed by his familiarity with the 25-year-old and a relationship that both describe as being akin to a marriage. Having been initially paired when Bankier was just a teenager, the dynamic has shifted subtlety over the years as the Glaswegian has matured into a world silver medalist. Whereas once Blair would feel the need to offer advice and support, he concedes he now does pretty much as he is told.

"She can take care of herself now," he says, smiling. "But, just like a marriage, some days are good, some aren't and you need to know when to bring things up and when to keep your mouth shut. It's easier now she's older and more developed as a person; it's not as volatile . . ."

Whether the duo divorce after Glasgow or not depends, in part, on how they fare and, consequently, what the funding situation is. Blair is engaged in an Open University law degree but, despite his advancing years, has no immediate plans to put such learning to use. "I'd never really envisaged playing full-time at all, never mind until this age, but it's not a bad way to earn a living so we'll see what happens.

"Maybe a few years ago I would have said otherwise but playing for Scotland has given me a different feeling because I'm representing my family and my country, too, and that's something special that I don't want to give up."