Badminton: Reprieve for Muggeridge

THE ROW between Joanne Muggeridge and the national team manager, Ciro Ciniglio, may be at an end following the England No 1's late addition to the squad for the Seven-Up World Championships at Birmingham in May and June, writes James Leigh.

Muggeridge had been criticised by Ciniglio for her lack of attendance at team practices and had been a surprising exclusion, even though she was injured at the time, from the main squad of 20 players announced six weeks ago.

Although the 23-year-old Kent player has had a weight problem for much of her career, she denied that this has had anything to do with her failure to attend training sessions.

Nevertheless Stephen Baddeley, the former British Olympic manager, appeared to agree with Ciniglio, temporarily dropping Muggeridge from his squad before reinstating her for Barcelona.

Now Muggeridge has received a late call-up along with Sarah Hore, the singles player from Hampshire, Mike Adams, the doubles specialist from Yorkshire, and Peter Bush, whose inclusion as a singles players keeps out his younger brother, Anthony.