Gold Coast: India’s badminton contingent has combined to deliver a landmark mixed team gold medal on day five of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia where Malaysia were beaten 3-1 on the back of strong shuttle play from Ashwini Ponnappa, Satwik Rankireddy, Kidambi Srikanth and Saina Nehwal. This is the country’s first mixed team badminton gold at any edition of the CWG.
India started off well in the title clash as the Indian pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy defeated Malaysia’s Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying 21-14, 15-21, 21-15 in a thrilling mixed doubles match.
The most crucial win in the tie came for India in the next match when Kidambi Srikanth defeated Malaysian great Lee Chong Wei in straight games, 21-17, 21-14, to hand his side a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Malaysia, however, won the men’s doubles match to keep themselves alive in the final
In the subsequent women’s singles match, Saina Nehwal then kept her composure to beat Sonia Cheah Su Ya 21-11, 19-21, 21-9 and hand India the gold medal.
