British badminton hopefuls trade insults on Twitter as they compete for 2012 Olympics place

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It is often seen as one of the more civilised sports. But two British badminton stars could be accused of ungentlewomanly conflict after a war of words in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

The flare-up started on Wednesday after Miss Bankier watched TV highlights of the English National Championships.

She tweeted: ‘Just watched the English nationals… why can English people not serve?!’

She insisted it had been ‘meant in a light-hearted way – not to offend’ after Gabby White, Miss Wallwork’s women’s doubles partner, called her ‘sour’.

Two days later, Miss Wallwork launched her own attack, making a thinly veiled reference to her rival’s injury record.

‘So the one with the ‘lighthearted banter’ is injured AGAIN!,’ she said.

‘I’d go for the ropey serve any day ;-) #banter’, and ‘Could have guessed to be honest, your [sic] usually crippled. #weak.’

The Scotswoman responded that the meaning of banter was ‘playful, intelligent, original’, adding ‘calling me a cripple… none of the above. #jog on #bored.’

She also warned her rival to not to ‘say something you regret’, followed by the word ‘spite’.

Undeterred, Miss Wallwork retaliated: ‘Slating English players none of the above either. I suggest u keep your ‘banter’ to yourself or ‘jog on’ back to Scotland.’

Miss Bankier and her mixed doubles partner Chris Adcock are currently 14th in the world and have the edge over Miss Wallwork and her partner Nathan Robertson, in 18th place.

Whichever team is ranked higher in May, is likely to be selected for the GB squad.

The Glasgow-born player, who is sponsored by a whisky firm, has previously spoken out against the Badminton World Federation’s plan to force female players to wear short skirts.

The BWF claimed the move was aimed at ‘raising badminton’s profile and that of women players’, but she hit back, saying: ‘I will fight to make sure this dated and simply sexist rule does not happen.’

She started playing badminton at the age of nine in what she describes as ‘very competitive Bankier family games in the back garden’.

Her competitor Miss Wallwork has also played badminton since she was a child.

Her mother, Jill, played for England, while her father Brian was a badminton coach.

When Miss Wallwork paired up with Mr Robertson, 34, in 2008, he joked that he had ‘upgraded to a younger model’ after his long-term doubles partner Gail Emms retired from the sport.


Source
By Louise Eccles
www.dailymail.co.uk