IMOGEN BANKIER, the Scottish badminton star, is going to the Beijing Olympics.

The surprise invitation for the Glasgow 20-year-old in Team GB's Olympic Ambition Programme gives BADMINTONscotland yet more reason to celebrate another Olympic boost. 

Her inclusion in the multi-sport party of athletes and coaches comes just weeks after BADMINTONscotland’s Coaching and Events Manager Hilary Atkinson was named Badminton Competition Manager for London 2012.

It 's Bonanza time again with the next event taking place on August 30-31 at the sportscotland National Centre at Inverclyde in Largs.

And it really is a Bonanza for players with 2 full days of badminton to look forward to at what will be the 26th Bank of Scotland Bonanza.

Play on the Saturday will run from approximately 10am till 9pm, depending on size of entry, with the action on the Sunday starting at from 10am and continuing until close of play.

MAUCHLINE provides three players in the 16-strong  Scotland badminton team for the UK School Games at the University of the West of England in Bristol from August 28-31. Emma Cook and Shereen Spittal are the two girls from Mauchline, with Gregor McVean included on the boy’s side, in the squad led by coaches Karen Stalker, Bill Hogg and Lena Robertson.

Former under 15 Bank of Scotland national singles champion Michael Campbell ( Edinburgh) will be pushing for singles success along with reigning Bank of Scotland National Under 17 girls ' singles champion Kirsty Gilmour (Bothwell).

Scotland 's Imogen Bankier and England 's former Scotland international Robert Blair bowed out bravely in the quarter-finals of the Thailand Grand Prix Gold in Bangkok today.

The Bank of Scotland Centenary International mixed doubles champions went down in the last eight for the second week running, losing today to China 's second seeds Xie Zhongbo and Zhang Jawen 21-9 21-14 in 31 minutes.

ROBERT BLAIR and Imogen Bankier are through to the quarter-finals of the Thailand Grand Prix Gold event in Bangkok - just a week after reaching the last eight of the Djarum Indonesian Open.

In today's second round Blair and 20-year-old Glasgow prospect Bankier beat Malaysia's Moh'd Razif Abdul Latif and Chong Sook Chin 21-16 21-15, having overcome Indonesia's Devn Lahardi Fitriawan and Lita Nurlita 21-19 21-14 in the first round.