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CWG 2018: India bag historic team gold in badminton

India beat strong contenders Malaysia to clinch the first ever badminton team gold in Commonwealth Games

By Unnikrishnan
India team members pose after winning the team badminton gold in Commonwealth Games

Gold Coast, April 9: The legendary but on the wane Lee Chong Wei was one of the casualties as a rampaging Indian mixed badminton team claimed its maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal, thrashing three-time defending champions Malaysia in the final at Gold Coast on Monday (April 9).

READ THIS STORY IN TELUGU

CWG 2018: Pullela Gopichand hails team’s performance

The pair of Satwik Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa claimed the mixed doubles match against Peng Soon Chan and Liu Yong Goh 21-14, 15-21, 21-15, before Kidambi Srikanth stunned three-time Olympic silver medallist Lee 21-17, 21-14 in straight games.

INDIA WIN TT GOLD </a>| <a class=GOLD FOR JITU RAI | MEDAL TALLY " title="INDIA WIN TT GOLD | GOLD FOR JITU RAI | MEDAL TALLY " />INDIA WIN TT GOLD | GOLD FOR JITU RAI | MEDAL TALLY

The Games debutant men's doubles pair of Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost to Goh and Wee Kiong Tan 15-21, 20-22 to keep Malaysia afloat for a while.

But the in-form Saina Nehwal put paid to the Malaysian hopes with a 21-11, 19-21, 21-9 win over Soniia Cheah in the women's singles match.

The Indian, who has played every one of the women's singles matches in the event, did look a bit jaded but still had enough in her arsenal to thwart a fighting Cheah.

Her victory ensured that the women's doubles pair of N Sikki Reddy and Ashwini did not have to show up for their clash against Vivian Hoo and Mei Kuan Chow.

Team India entered the final at Gold Coast having beaten Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Scotland, Mauritius and Singapore.

Saina had won an individual gold in the 2010 CWG in New Delhi and mixed team silver and bronze in 2010 and 2006 respectively, while Ponnappa was part of the women's doubles pair that won gold in 2010 and silver in Glasgow, apart from a mixed team silver in 2010.

This is the country's first mixed team badminton gold at any edition of the CWG, and it has come under the expert tutelage of Dronacharya Pullela Gopichand

Story first published: Monday, April 9, 2018, 18:08 [IST]
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