Adam Hall: A career defined by resilience, community and Scottish prowess

As Adam Hall closes the chapter on a remarkable badminton career, the Scottish doubles specialist opens up about the long journey that shaped him; from winning national titles as a child to navigating injury, playing for his country and the quiet pride of building a close-knit squad culture.

The Podium Highlights

One of Hall’s standout achievements came at the 2022 European Championships in Madrid, where he and men’s doubles partner Alex Dunn made history. The duo became the first Scottish men’s pair ever to reach a European final, clinching a silver medal after a string of strong performances. A year later, the pair reinforced their place among Europe’s elite by winning bronze at the 2023 European Games in Krakow, once again proving their quality against the continent’s best, making them one of Scotland’s most successful pairings in the modern era.

Back home, Hall has long been a dominant force at the Scottish National Championships, regularly lifting titles in both men’s and mixed doubles. In 2023, he and Dunn recaptured the men’s doubles crown, defeating the rising Grimley twins in a thrilling final.

Perhaps one of his most emotional victories came at the Scottish Open in 2019, when Hall and Dunn ended a 36-year wait for a Scottish men’s doubles win at the tournament. Their straight-sets victory over Denmark’s Jeppe Bay and Mikkel Mikkelsen was a career highlight and a proud moment for Scottish fans watching in Glasgow.

Beyond these, Hall has also accumulated multiple titles on the BWF International Series and Challenge circuits, including wins at the Irish Open, Austrian Open, Turkey International, and Iceland International, building a steady and impressive resume on the global stage.

His journey to this began much longer ago in Ayrshire sports halls.

A Star is Born

“I won the first ever Under 11s Nationals with Paul Milgrew, who was the son of the coach who got me involved in the sport 25 years ago, so that was really special,” Hall recalled fondly. “I still remember the dinner we went for in Mauchline after that one, Tommy even made us our own replica trophies! I was 8 or 9 at the time… so nearly 20 years ago.”

From an early age, Hall showed he was destined for something special. His journey through the junior ranks was filled with titles, winning a record 27 at Junior level. But it was his partnership with Alex Dunn that would eventually define a large part of his career.

“The medal with Alex at my last [junior] tournament was really special,” he said. “It was definitely a learning experience getting used to his energy. We’d only played a handful of times before the Under 19 Europeans. I was the old man of the team; the only one that was actually Under 19. I didn’t know it then, but I’d go on to spend the majority of the next 10 years with most of that team and we always have really fond memories of that trip.”

Commonwealth Games and Squad Culture

Despite not competing in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Hall played a behind-the-scenes role as part of the Achieve Programme, supporting the team while gaining experience. He trained closely with teammate Kirsty Gilmour as her sparring partner, joking, “I do take part credit for her silver medal, like 1/1000 of it — just a shaving.”

He recalled the energy of the home Games vividly. “It was such a buzz around the city, the weather was amazing and it was incredible to see such high level sport at our doorstep. The Glasgow games really gave me a taste of what was to come and only motivated me even more to be a part of the next one.”

That moment paved the way for Hall’s first full Games experience in Gold Coast 2018, where he and Dunn made the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles, missing out to Malaysia’s eventual silver medallists.

“Gold Coast was a really tough qualifying period for us,” he said. “Alex and I only started playing together three months into the qualifiers so we were buzzing just to qualify. That was also when Julie [MacPherson] and I started playing again during the team event, where we pushed the reigning Olympic silver medalists at the time all the way.”

But it was Birmingham 2022 where everything came together — and ultimately, where it began to come undone.

“Birmingham was completely different. I was peaking for this, I wanted a medal. It wasn’t just about qualifying anymore, it was about seeding, about changing the mentality. The men’s doubles was disappointing; we didn’t get the result we were looking for which was really frustrating for us.”

“But the mixed doubles was probably the best event that Julie and I had ever played. That quarterfinal win was amazing, Julie played amazing. That one was special. We knew going in that we probably weren’t going to beat the top three pairs, so 4th was going to be the best we could aim for… Everything happens how it happens, and I’m really happy to have had that experience.”

But he admitted: “It was also traumatic. I don’t think we ever really got over it. Losing twice in one day and being so close to a medal… it was devastating.”

Badminton Scotland Chair of Performance Christine Black’s first memory of working closely with Adam as a player was during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

“I was named as Badminton Team Manager while Adam was selected onto the Achieve programme which was set up for a Games-time education experience to aspiring athletes and Adam certainly fitted into that category” said Black.

“My first impression was as a young athlete how helpful and supportive Adam was throughout the Games, his commitment was incredible making himself available for any task at any time.

“As Team Manager in 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, I found it pleasing to see he was now selected as a team member and how he had developed as an athlete and possibly the  start of  a successful International career with his two new partners Alex Dunn and Julie MacPherson.

“Adam has been a fantastic Ambassador for Scotland through his Junior and Senior career and should be very proud of all his achievements, which include winning European medals at both Junior and Senior level.

“Making a decision to retire through injury is never easy however a mention must also go to sportscotland Institute of Sport for the support they have given Adam throughout his rehabilitation and individual Lifestyle services.

“On a personal note l would like to wish Adam all the very best for the future and thank him for his incredible contribution and enjoyment he has given to many throughout his badminton career.”

Badminton Scotland’s Chair of Events Craig Robertson was heavily involved in Hall’s development as a young athlete through the programme at the Glasgow School of Sport.

“I can recall my first International competition as the coach at Glasgow School of Sport was the Aros Cup  in Denmark” he said.

“Adam disappeared to hall next door to scout his future opponents while I was coaching Josh Neil. He returned with notes on both his group opponents. As a coach I was impressed with his initiative and vision which has continued to play a key role throughout his career.

“During his junior development Adam always looked for solutions and was one of the best young role models in our sport.

“His tactical and technical skills at a young age and desire to improve paved the way for the successes he achieved as a senior. I would encourage all of our junior players to take this approach and also believe Adam has made a significant contribution to our current National programme culture.”

The 12 year injury battle

Behind the success, Hall was carrying a secret pain. A wrist injury dating back 12 years had followed him throughout his entire professional career.

“I hurt my wrist a month before World Juniors in 2013. We thought I’d bruised the bone. For 12 years, it would come and go — sometimes I could barely hold my racket.”

It wasn’t until 2021 that the injury escalated. “I couldn’t hit a forehand without it being incredibly sore. Eventually, a specialist in Leeds found I’d nipped the fluid capsule in my wrist. An injection helped, but it was only a temporary fix.”

As time went on, the injections stopped working. “The first lasted 18 months. The next, 10. Then five. When I came back from a tournament block in Asia, I went to do an exercise and I knew it was gone.”

Even surgery couldn’t fully fix the issue. “They pulled out a sweetcorn-sized nugget from the back of my wrist. Everything else looked fine, but the pain kept coming. Eventually, the surgeon told me my tendon was getting overloaded because I had so little range of movement, and that wasn’t something they could fix.”

The turning point came when the pain began to affect his life outside of badminton.

“When your sporting injuries start affecting your actual life, that’s when you know it’s time. My heart wasn’t in it anymore, and I’m okay with that. I think people know when their time is up, and mine was up a couple of years ago. I just kept pushing through.”

A Culture Worth Leaving Behind

What Hall might be proudest of, though, isn’t just medals or matches — it’s the culture he helped shape within the Scottish squad.

“We had a bit of a changing of the guard after 2018. A lot of older players retired, and suddenly Kirsty and I were the ‘old ones’ — and we were only 25 and 22,” he said.

“All the ‘kids’ that were coming in had grown up together, we saw a chance to cultivate a culture where everyone worked together to reach our shared goals. People from other countries have since said that they were jealous of the atmosphere and comradery we had, so I guess we were successful! Some nations are out for themselves, but we’re different. It’s so much easier to train every day when you’re surrounded by people you’re friends with.”

He even reflects on the arrival of Scotland’s promising younger players, including the Grimley twins, with gratitude rather than rivalry.

“It could’ve been easy to feel threatened when they started catching up, but as they got better, we got better. That’s the way it should be.”

As Hall steps away from competition, he does so knowing that what he leaves behind, a squad built on trust, camaraderie, and mutual respect, may be his most lasting legacy.

“I’m really proud of that,” he said. “I think we’ve passed that down through generations that we’re all aiming towards one goal. So let’s all just be friends about it, you know?”