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 here today. 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. 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.
