Russell Hogg

Russell Hogg (7 January 1968 – 17 September 2012) was a Scottish badminton player. He reached a career high as world number 8 and has a number of titles to his name. Hogg competed at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games, and won a mixed team bronze in 2002.

Biography Dunfermline-born Hogg started playing badminton with the age 10. His father Harry Hogg was the Defence of Ministry worker. Hogg spent two years in Mauritius and after that he studied in St Leonard's Primary, Dunfermline, where his mother Moira was a teacher. It was his father, also a badminton coach, who introduced him to the sport. Hogg was exceptionally hard-working, developing his game at Alloa Badminton Club to win European gold medal in the under-14 category. Although he played badminton, he was an enthusiastic cricket player too. He had represented Scotland's under-16s and served as captain of Fife County Cricket Club for a season. Hogg finally found his way into the badminton and began developing his game to be the country's elite doubles player. He won Scottish national junior championships for 5 times. He left school around 1986 to work in administration with the Ministry of Defence at Rosyth Dockyard and it was the same time that he made his Scotland debut.

Between 1991 and 2002 he won the men's doubles at the Scottish National Badminton Championships nine times, eight of them with Kenny Middlemiss. He also won the mixed doubles title twice with Kirsteen McEwan in 2001 and 2003.

On the world tournament circuit he reached a career best of No. 8 in mixed doubles and No. 17 in men's doubles. he represented the Scottish team at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, where he competed in the badminton events.

After retiring from playing career he worked for North Ayrshire Leisure as badminton development manager before joining the Badminton Scotland staff in November 2004 as national development manager. His wife Julie Hogg whom he met while he was 12 was also the badminton player. Hogg was third most-capped player in the country, with 117 appearances, and had the hands-on experience that also made him a respected coach and mentor. He mentored the Scottish team in the 2012 Olympic Games. Hogg died on 17 September 2012, aged 44, due to skin cancer.

Achievements IBF International Men's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1989 Irish International Anthony Gallagher Kenny Middlemiss Dan Travers 6–15, 6–15 Runner-up 1990 Gibraltar International Ian Teasdale Ricardo Fernandes Jose Sim Sim 15–2, 15–5 Winner 1992 Gibraltar International Richard Outterside –, – –, – Winner 1992 Iceland International Kenny Middlemiss Simon Archer Julian Robertson 9–15, 9–15 Runner-up 1992 Amor International Kenny Middlemiss Broddi Kristjánsson Árni Þór Hallgrímson 15–4, 15–12 Winner 1993 Gibraltar International Paul Hutchinson Kelvin Edwards Paul Ruthven 15–5, 7–15, 15–1 Winner 1997 Portugal International Kenny Middlemiss Hugo Rodrigues Fernando Silva Walkover Runner-up 1997 Slovenian International Kenny Middlemiss Harald Koch Jürgen Koch 18–14, 15–5 Winner 1999 La Chaux-de-Fonds Kenny Middlemiss Aras Razak Henrik Sørensen 10–15, 9–15 Runner-up 1999 Scottish International Kenny Middlemiss Michael Lamp Jonas Rasmussen 8–15, 11–15 Runner-up 2000 New Zealand International Robert Blair John Gordon Daniel Shirley 16–17, 7–15 Runner-up 2000 Irish International Robert Blair Alastair Gatt Craig Robertson 15–12, 12–15, 5–15 Runner-up

Mixed doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result 1990 Gibraltar International J Steen Ian Teasdale R. Ambrose 12–15, 15–9, 7–15 Runner-up 1993 Gibraltar International Julie Hogg Paul Steel Sue Tromp 15–10, 15–7 Winner 1997 Portugal International Karen Peatfield Kenny Middlemiss Elinor Middlemiss Walkover Winner 1997 Slovenian International Jillian Haldane Kenny Middlemiss Elinor Middlemiss 10–15, 8–15 Runner-up 1997 Scottish International Tracy Dineen Lars Paaske Jane F. Bramsen 6–15, 2–15 Runner-up 1998 Irish International Alexis Barlow Ruud Kuijten Manon Albinus 7–15, 9–15 Runner-up 2000 Slovenian International Kirsteen McEwan Mathias Boe Britta Andersen 9–15, 3–15 Runner-up 2000 Le Volant d'Or de Toulouse Kirsteen McEwan Björn Siegemund Nicol Pitro 5–15, 11–15 Runner-up 2000 Irish Open Kirsteen McEwan Graham Hurrell Sara Hardaker 15–9, 15–8 Winner 2001 Slovenian International Kirsteen McEwan Nikolai Zuyev Marina Yakusheva 5–7, 3–7, 2–7 Runner-up 2002 Croatian International Kirsteen McEwan Travis Denney Kate Wilson-Smith 7–3, 8–6, 7–2 Winner