Commonwealth Games 2018 Gold Coast highlights: India shine on Day 5 with golds in badminton, table tennis and shooting

Take a look at the medals tally as India jump one place higher to third place in the rankings. 

Women’s 10,000 m

For a little over eight laps, India’s 27-year-old Loganathan Suriya led the pack in the women’s 10,000m. Even she would have known that it would be tough to sustain the front-running in a formidable field that included Kenyans and Ugandans.

Under the circumstances, Suriya, from Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu, did really well to clock her personal best time of 32:23.56 in the 25-lapper, even if only by a whisker.

Her previous best was 32:23.96 came in the Federation Cup in Patiala on 7 March but she can draw satisfaction from the fact that she showed an improvement in a competition of this level.

She had finished fourth in the Asian Athletics Championships in a time of 33:04:10 and may have found redemption with this effort in Gold Coast.

Men’s Shot Put Final

Tejinderpal Singh Toor was unable to replicate, let alone improve his performance achieved at home in the Commonwealth Games and finished eighth in the shot put final with a best throw of 19.42m.

It was his only 19m-plus effort today, coming on his third visit to the throwing circle. It lifted him to the top eight and extended his stay in the finals with three more throws.

However, he unable to find the rhythm that could send the iron ball farther than he had managed. Even in qualifying, he found the power to log 19.10m with his final throw to get into the final.

Even he will be disappointed that on a day when high jumper Tejaswin Shankar qualified for the final, Muhammad Anas won his semi-finals heats with a quality time and 10,000m runner L Suriya clocked her personal best time, he was unable to find the power to take him close to the 20.24m that he achieved in the Federation Cup in Patiala last month.

Malaysia had beaten India in the final of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Times have changed! 

Look at that!  

No words can explain this feeling! Kudos to our Champions @NSaina @P9Ashwini @satwiksairaj @srikidambi @Shettychirag04 @PRANNOYHSPRI @sikkireddy @RuthvikaS @pranaav6 #IndiaontheRise #ShareTheDream #GC2018badminton #CWG2018India pic.twitter.com/4TSGIP9xuD

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) April 9, 2018

Maiden GOLD for India at mixed team event!

STAT ATTACK: take a look at the stats of the women’s singles match between Saina Nehwal and Soniia Cheah

The 2014 CWG men’s singles champion is elated after India’s historic win! 

And finally GOLD 🥇🥇💪💪🇮🇳🇮🇳Congratulations guys . Credit to the entire coaching n support staff . #GopiAnna #tankimher and all the physios n trainers at the national camp @NSaina @Pvsindhu1 @srikidambi @P9Ashwini @PRANNOYHSPRI @pranaav6 @sikkireddy

— Kashyap Parupalli (@parupallik) April 9, 2018

India 3-1 Malaysia: Mixed team event 

And Saina Nehwal steps up when it matters the most 

She beats Soniia Cheah 21-15, 19-21, 21-9 to guide India to its first-ever gold medal at the mixed team event! 

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

FOUR quick points for Saina as she inches closer to victory in the women’s singles match. She leads 15-11! 

The Indian is in complete control of the game! 

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

Saina takes full advantage of her opponents’ errors at the net to open up a two-point lead at the change of ends. She leads 11-9 and needs to extend it quickly!  
 

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

It’s a tight, tight match between Saina and Soniia as the scores are tied at 8-8! The Indian shuttler needs to close down the frontcourt area to win points.

It’s all happening in the women’s singles match! 

7-5! Soniia takes four points on the trot

The Malaysian shuttler is forcing Sania to play long rallies#GC2018

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— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) April 9, 2018

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

Soniia forces the match into the deciding game with a narrow 21-19 second-game victory. Alright then. One game apiece in the women’s singles match. Malaysia are still very much in the tie. 

Decider coming your way…

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

Well, it’s 19-19! Very difficult to decide who will take the second game. 

Soniia looks like a completely different shuttler after the medical break.

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

This time, it’s Saina with four consecutive points. The scores are level at 17-17 

Will the Indian shuttler finish the match in straight games?

Soniia is pushing Saina towards the left tramline. Will this strategy work for the Malaysian?

Four points in a row for Soniia there

She leads 15-13 in the second game #GC2018

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— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) April 9, 2018

Gurdeep Singh finishes fourth, misses medal by a whisker. India end with nine medals in weightlifting 

Gurdeep Singh’s earnest desire to win India its 10th medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018 weightlifting competition came unstuck by his inability to lift 218kg in clean and jerk and put his three biggest challengers under pressure and also their own ability to do better than him in this variant.

New Zealand’s David Liti lifted a mind-boggling 229kg in clean and jerk to total 403kg for a games record total and claim the gold medal ahead of Samoa’s Laultiti Liu (400kg) and Pakistan’s 20-year-old Muhammad Nooh Dastagir Butt (395kg, junior Commonwealth record). Needing two attempts at 207kg for a total of 382kg, the 22-year-old from Punjab sought to up the psychological ante by asking for 218kg on the barbell to try and improve his total to 393. In the event, that would not have sufficed for him to be in the medal bracket.

Three of India’s five gold came from women lifters, Mirabai Chanu (48kg class), Sanjita Chanu (51kg) and Punam Yadav (69kg). Sathish Kumar Sivalingam (77kg) and Ragala Venkat Rahul (85kg); were the other gold medallists  while Gururaja Poojary (56kg) and Pardeep Singh (105kg) added the silver and Deepak Lather (69kg) and Vikas Thakur (94kg) picked up bronze medals.

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

Medical timeout as Soniia seems to be in some pain. Saina leads 13-11 in the second game.

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

11-10! And it’s Saina, who takes a slender lead over Sonia. The second game has produced more rallies, making the contest interesting. 

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

Soniia is closing the gap on Saina’s lead. She now trails by a single point 6-7 in the second game.

‘JEETEGA BHAI JEETEGA, INDIA JEETEGA’ 

Looking at Saina’s aggressive display, we all think India will bag their first-ever gold in team event!

4-3! That's a strong smash down the line by Saina

She has been superb at the backcourt #GC2018

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— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) April 9, 2018

India vs Malaysia: Saina Nehwal wins 1st game

And Saina has done it with excellent net play! 

The 28-year-old did not lose a single point after the mid-game break where she was trailing at 9-11. What an incredible turnaround this is! 

Muhammad Anas Yahiya qualifies for the men’s 400m final

India’s premier quarter-miler Muhammad Anas Yahiya stunned everyone with a fluent run to win his semi-finals heats and qualify for the 400m final.

He clocked a creditable time of 45.44 seconds, just a shade slower than the National Record of 45.32 seconds that he timed in the third leg of the Indian Grand Prix 2017 in New Delhi.

He had previously set the National record at 45.40 seconds in Poland in 2016. The 23-year-old Indian Navy man from Kerala will be pleased that only Botswana’s Isaac Makwala (45.00), Jamaica’s Javon Francis (45.38, his season’s best) and Grenada’s Bralon Taplin (45.44) were faster than him in their heats.

India 3-0 Nigeria – Men’s table tennis team event FINAL

The men’s team completes the GOLDEN DOUBLE for Indian table tennis contingent at the Commonwealth Games 2018.

On Sunday, the women’s team beat Singapore 3-1 in the finals to win their maiden gold at the event and today, the men’s team has contributed a gold to India’s best-ever result at the table tennis team events at CWG.  

Sharath Kamal started off the final with a come-from-behind win to give India 1-0 lead. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran followed a similar chain of events as he won three straight games after losing the 1st game despite having four game points. 

However, Sathiyan made no such faulty first step in his doubles clash alongside Harmeet Desai and ensured that the medal was won without wasting too much time to cap a memorable run for the Indian contingent at the Gold Coast event

A dominating run and a well-deserved medal!!!!

India vs Malaysia: Women’s doubles

EIGHT points in a row for Saina. She was trailing 9-11 at the mid-game break and she has turned things around in a jiffy!

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

It might surprise a little but Malaysia’s Soniia has taken an 11-9 lead over Saina at the mid-game break. The Malaysian shuttler looks calm and composed. 

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

2-2, 4-4, 8-8! 

A close game between Saina and Soniia as both the shuttlers have used their attacking strokes to win points.

Some good news coming your way…

Good news for 🇮🇳

Runner Muhammed Anas Yahiya qualities for the men's 400m final with a time of 45.44! #GC2018Athletics

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— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) April 9, 2018

India vs Malaysia: Women’s singles

India’s Saina Nehwal is in action against Soniia Cheah of Malaysia

This is the fourth match of the tie. India can bag their maiden gold in mixed team event if Saina manages to win this match. 

India 3-0 Nigeria – men’s team event 

What a champion performance by the Indian paddlers

Malaysia 1-2 India: Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong win

That’s a well-deserved victory for Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong. The Malaysian’s gave Satwiksairaj and Chirag a taste of their own medicine with ruthless attacking strokes to win 21-15, 22-20 
 
India still lead 2-1 in this mixed team event 

In the men’s table tennis team event, India’s Sathiyan Gunasekaran and Harmeet Desai take on the Nigerian pair of Olajide Omotayo and Bode Abiodun. 

Sathiyan and Harmeet seem to be in a hurry to clinch the gold medal for India in this game itself.

The Indian duo have won the first two games 11-8, 11-5

Make that 18-18! It’s a close affair in the second game

17-17! The Malaysians have clawed back into the match

Satwik and Chirag are under pressure

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India vs Malaysia: Men’s doubles

Satwik and Chirag have taken a 11-7 lead into the second game’s break. Can they force a decider with their attacking style of play?

Gurdeep Singh lifted 175kg in snatch variant in the +105kg class and conveyed a strong intent to help India close the weightlifting competition with its 10th medal from 16 events.

The 22-year-old was unfazed by the attempts of his competitors from Samoa Laultiti Lui and Pakistan’s Muhammad Nooh Dastagir Butt to stay ahead by asking for heavier weights to be loaded.

He lifted 175kg on second attempt at that weight. The Samoan cleared 175kg with his opening lift and failed twice at 179kg and Muhammad Nooh Dastagir Butt cleared 173kg failed twice at 177.

New Zealand’s David Liti took the third place with 174kg.

Satwik-Chirag have been fantastic. It’s 9-6 in the Indian’s favour at the moment as we approach the break of the second game

India vs Malaysia: Men’s doubles

Satwik has been really impressive defensively from the backcourt. Not only he is attacking, his returns have been accurate.  

The Indians lead 7-3 in the second game

What a performance from Sathiyan Gunasekaran to give India a 2-0 lead! After losing 10-12 in the 1st game, he hardly put a foot wrong as he beat Nigeria’s Segun Toriola 10-12, 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 

India now need just one more win to win the GOLD at the Commonwealth Games 2018

India vs Malaysia: Men’s doubles

Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong claim the opening game 21-15. The pressure is on the Indian pair to show more aggression while attacking. 

It is time for Clean and Jerk action in the +105 kg men’s weightlifting. 

India’s Gurdeep Singh will be extremely pleased with his performance at Snatch and will enter the next section in the joint lead with  Samoa’s Lauititi Lui who lifted a weight of 175 kg too

India vs Malaysia: Men’s doubles

Goh V Shem and Tan Kiong are making life difficult for the Indian shuttlers with excellent shots from every corner of the court. They lead 19-13 and look set to clinch the first game

Chirag: Maar abhi
Satwik: Say no more…

Chirag shouts 'maar abhi' and
Satwik follows it up with a powerful smash to close the gap on the Malaysians' lead

They still trail 12-14 #GC2018

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— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) April 9, 2018

India vs Nigeria – men’s team table tennis Final

After losing 12-10 in the opening game despite having four game points, Sathiyan G has made his way back into the match with a dominating 11-3 win in the 2nd. 

Will Sathiyan be able to hold on to this momentum and give India a 2-0 lead in the men’s team Final

Next up, men’s doubles match between India’s Chirag Shetty – Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Goh V Shem – Tan Kiong of Malaysia.

A win for the young duo will give India the elusive gold in the mixed team event

Indian weightlifter Gurdeep Singh is off to a brilliant start in the +105kg category. He started off by declaring 168 kg and considering the relative ease with which he lifted that weight, Gurdeep went with a 175 kg for his next attempts. 

Missing out on his 2nd attempt, Gurdeep made no such mistake as he lifts 175 kg and will go into the Clean and Jerk with the momentum

India 2-0 Malaysia: Kidambi Srikanth beats Lee Chong Wei

And it’s a win for Kidambi Srikanth. That too, in straight games! 
 
The Indian shuttler finally manages to get the better of Lee Chong Wei and what a way to do it. LCW just couldn’t defend! 

India 1-0 Nigeria – Table Tennis men’s team event 

Achanta Sharath Kamal gives Indian paddlers a much-needed boost in the opening match of the Men’s Team event FINAL with a  4-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-9 win against NIgeria’s Bode Abiodun. 

Champion performance from India’s most prominent table tennis players

India vs Malaysia: Men’s singles

Srikanth is totally outplaying the Malaysian shuttler at the moment. He has covered every inch of the court to take a massive 19-12 lead.

LCW is changing his racquet after snapping it in the previous rally. 

9-14! Lee Chong Wei wins three points on the trot to close the gap on Srikanth's lead #GC2018

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— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) April 9, 2018

INDIA vs NIGERIA – Table Tennis men’s team Final 

What a comeback by India's top most paddler!!
#SharathKamal wins the next two games in a rush as the Nigerian hardly knew what hit him as the veteran takes 2-1 lead in the opening match

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India vs Malaysia: Men’s singles
​
Srikanth is in complete control of the match. He leads 14-6 against LCW. 

The attacking strokes are making the difference at the moment. Also, Srikanth is managing to find spaces to attack

India vs Nigeria – Table Tennis men’s team final

Sharath Kamal has been in ominous form in the last two games. After hitting the ball all over the place in the first, Sharath has made a remarkable comeback of sorts to go 2-1 up in the opening match of the final. The Indian team would hope for their most experienced paddler to give the country a rousing start

Achanta Sharath Kamal, riding on his years of experience, has decided to take the responsibility of getting India off to a good start. Though he lost the opening game 4-11, he has come back strongly in the 2nd to win 11-5 and square the match one game a piece

The Malaysian is trying everything to push Srikanth towards the back but he has been unsuccessful. 

And Lee Chong Wei's forehand shot lands wide...

Srikanth leads 4-2 in the second game #GC2018

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Kidambi Srikanth draws first blood! 

The Indian shuttler’s smart strokes from the net take LCW by surprise. The Malaysian is not used to playing too many defensive strokes from the back. What a win! 

The second game gets underway!

India vs Malaysia: Men’s singles

Srikanth is dominating LCW with his incredible attack at the net. The Malaysian is struggling at the net

India vs Malaysia: Men’s singles

LCW makes a comeback to level the scores at 14-14. Srikanth looks in great touch. He was out with a knee injury after winning four Superseries titles last year.

India vs Nigeria – Table Tennis men’s team Final 

Meanwhile, India is in contention for yet another gold medal in table tennis.

While on Sunday, the women’s team pulled off a dream win over defending champions Singapore in the final to win the first-ever gold in the event at the Commonwealth Games, the men’s team will fight it out against Nigeria for a repeat of the 2006 CWG where the men’s team won gold

India vs Malaysia: Men’s singles

There’s a reason why Srikanth’s attack is admired by many. He takes a three-point lead over LCW at the mid-game break

Interestingly, before this match, the Indian has always found it difficult to attack against the Malaysian ace. Can he change that today?

It is time for the last weightlifting event at the Gold Coast. India has had an impressive run in the event so far winning 9 medals and now, in the +105 kg category, India’s Gurdeep Singh will be in action.

Gurdeep will look to continue the golden run of Indian weightlifters at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

India vs Malaysia: Men’s singles

What a flat smash from Srikanth. With that, he opens up a two-point lead over LCW, who is known for making a slow start.

India vs Malaysia: Men’s singles

Next up is Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Chong Wei in the men’s singles match. This is the second match of the tie. 

The Indian hasn’t been in his best form on the international circuit but has the qualities to unsettle the Malay legend. 

Expecting a cracker of a match!

Superb serving n nerves shown by @P9Ashwini at 7-12 down in the third and @satwiksairaj at his best with those thundering smashes !! Come on @srikidambi #letsgoindialetsgo 🇮🇳🇮🇳💪

— Kashyap Parupalli (@parupallik) April 9, 2018

India 1-0 Malaysia 

Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwiksairaj beat Rio Olympics silver medallists Peng Soon Chan and Liu Goh 21-14, 15-21, 21-15 in mixed doubles match to give India the all-important lead over favourites Malaysia. Wonderful attacking performance by the Indian duo, with Satwik hitting booming smashes down the court to unsettle Peng Soon. Ashwini was equally outstanding at the net.

Satwik has been brilliant after the mid-game interval of the decider. Just four points away from taking a 1-0 lead in the tie

Ashwini and Satwik have won 10 out last 11 points to turn things around. They lead 17-13

Satwik's jump smashes are just too hot to handle

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— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) April 9, 2018

India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

SEVEN points on the trot for Ashwini and Satwik. They lead 15-21

Excellent attacking play from the Indian duo. The Malaysians look tensed! There is nothing Peng and Liu could do about it at the moment.

India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

A four-point lead for Peng and Liu, who have controlled the pace of the game to unsettle Ashwini and Satwik. Nerves of steel at the moment. The Indian pair needs to change their approach to turn things around

Satwik and Ashwini are still on the backfoot as we approach the mid-game break.

The Malaysians have defended brilliantly in the early stages of the decider

Ashwini and Satwiksairaj need to up their game to unsettle their opponents

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— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) April 9, 2018

India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

Yet again, the Malaysian duo of Peng and Liu are off to a good start. Satwik and Ashwini need to target the backcourt to put Peng under pressure.

India 1-1 Malaysia: Mixed doubles

One game apiece between Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Ashwini Ponnappa and Peng Choon Chan-Liu Ying Goh. The Malaysians showed more aggression in their play to claim the second game 21-15 

Onto the decider! 
 
 

Can the Indian duo make a comeback to avoid a decider?

The Malaysians have upped their game and now lead 17-12 in the 2nd game

Everything seems to be working in favour of the Malaysian duo

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India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

The Indian duo trails 9-15 in the second stanza. That’s because Peng and Liu have upped their game in terms of attacking and court-coverage. It’s a challenge for Satwik and Ashwini to defend the tramlines.

India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

A great response from the Malaysian duo to take the lead as the shuttlers take a mini-break at the mid-game interval of the second game. Peng and Liu look sharper and hungrier. Satwik and Ashwini have allowed their opponents to find angles to kill the rallies.

India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

The Malaysians have made a strong start in the second game, taking a 6-4 lead over Satwik and Ashiwini. The Indian pair needs to stop their opponents from taking a healthy lead.

India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

Satwik and Ashwini have taken a 1-0 lead against Peng and Liu as the Indian duo banked on their attacking approach to claim the opening game 21-14. The Malaysian pair was stretched at the backcourt throughout. 

The second game gets underway. 

Satwik is targeting the tramlines, while Ashwini is playing some exquisite net shots from the forecourt. 

17-12! The Indians are off to a solid start.

Every time the Malaysians mount some sort of comeback, the Indian duo consolidate the lead with a flurry of smashes

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WHAT A SMASH! Satwik Ashwini lead 13-8

Perfect timing by Satwik to hit that unplayable jump smash. The 17-year-old’s aggressive approach can make the difference in this match. Meanwhile, Ashwini is doing a great job to create an opening for her partner.

India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

Satwik and Ashwini lead 11-7 at the mid-game break of the opening game

The duo has not allowed Peng and Liu to get their rhythm.

India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

8-3! The Indians have extended their lead by five points 

Satwik and Ashwini are pushing their opponents towards the backcourt to find some space at the net.

India vs Malaysia: Mixed doubles

4-1! Satwik and Ashwini have taken a three-point lead over the Malaysian duo. Watch out for Satwik’s booming smashes.

India vs Malaysia: FINALS

A lot of Malaysian fans inside the arena. Well, the Malaysians and Indonesians are pretty vocal. 

Lots of Indian fans chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jay’. That was coming

So, in the first match of the tie, India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa will take on Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh in the mixed doubles match

Alright! 

Time for an action-packed badminton mixed-team final between India and Malaysia!

What a line-up! Kidambi Srikanth vs Lee Chong Wei is one to watch out for! 

Lalchhanhimi and Purnima Pandey drew a blank in the two heaviest categories in women’s weightlifting. Lalchhanhimi, the 26-year-old Champhai in Mizoram lifter finished with a total of 194kg (85kg snatch and 109kg clean and jerk), a 3kg improvement from her showing in the Commonwealth Championship last year. She had lifted a total of 206kg in Patiala (91kg and 115kg) on June 19 but today she was far from that kind of form in a competition that was always going to be tough for her. She ended up eighth and last in her division which saw Fiji’s Eileen Cikamatana take gold by leapfrogging past Australian Kaity Fassina with a successful 130kg clean and jerk attempt to take her total to 233kg.

In the over 91kg class, contested simultaneously, Purnima Pandey totaled 212kg (94kg snatch, 118kg clean and jerk) to finish sixth of eight lifters, above Mauritian Shalinee Valadyon (205kg) and transgender lifter Laurel Hubbard (New Zealand) who withdrew after the snatch variant where she lifted 120kg, seven more than anyone else.

India’s Smit Singh finishes sixth

After 20 shots in the Men's Skeets Final 🇮🇳’s #Smitsingh has been eliminated

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The Indian shotgun squad at the Commonwealth Games is awaiting its first medal after Smit Singh, 27-year-old from Punjab, was the first shooter to be eliminated in the men’s skeet final today. He missed five of the first 20 birds in the final. Curiously, over three rounds in qualifying this morning, he missed but two of the 75 shots and third in the shoot-off to determine placings going into the final. But he will have some satisfaction and much learning after making it to the final in an event which has not been India’s strongest suit.

Lalchhanhimi off to poor start in the 90kg category, Purnima Pandey nails all attempts in +90kg category

Lalchhanhimi fails in her second and third attempts of lifting 89 kgs and ends up with a final total of 85 kgs in the snatch variant. Meanwhile, +90kg lifter Purnima Pandey was successful in all three attempts as she lifted 85, 89 and 94 kgs. With the competition very strong, neither lifter may end up with a medal.

Smit Singh into skeet shooting final

Indshotgunt gun squad got some encouragement when Smit Singh, 27, made it to the men’s skeet final with a tally of 119 points in qualifying. Having shot 46 in the first two rounds yesterday, he missed just two birds in the three rounds of 25 each today to finish tied in the fourth spot with England’s Karl Killander and Northern Ireland’s Gareth Mcauley. Cyprus’s defending champion Georgios Achilleos  equaled the games record score in qualifying with 123.The 2007 World Champion will go for his third individual gold in the Commonwealth Games, having won in Melbourne in 2006 and Glasgow in 2014. He had won silver in Delhi in 2010. He also has two pairs skeet gold medals. The final will be on at 11.15 am.

Smit Singh qualifies for skeet shooting final

India’s Smit Singh has qualified for the men’s skeet shooting after finishing in sixth and final qualifying spot with a score of 119. Sheeraz Sheikh misses on a spot in the final after only managing to shoot 117. The final will be held today at 11.15 am.

Teenaged Mehuli Ghosh wins silver as Apurvi Chandela claims bronze

Mehuli Ghosh, 17-year-old from Kalyani in West Bengal, forced a sudden-death shoot off in the women’s 10m air rifle final with Singapore teenager Martina Lindsay Veloso with a perfect 10.9 off what was meant to be the final shot of the competition. But, perhaps unable to overcome the sense of joy and relief, she shot a 9.9 in the shoot off and settled for the silver medal with a Games mark of 247.2 in the final. Apurvi Chandela, winner of the gold medal in Glasgow in 2014, had shot a new Games record in qualifying but her two least satisfactory shots in the final came when she tied Martina Lindsay Veloso at top with 206.0 points. The 9.9 and 9.4 meant that she had to find some satisfaction in the bronze medal. If truth be told, the two Indians were expected to claim gold and silver as higher ranked shooters but the final panned out differently as the Singaporean, youngest winner of an ISSF World Cup back in 2014, found the greater consistency.

MEHULI GHOSH WINS SILVER!

After forcing the shoot-off, Mehuli can only shoot a 9.9 as Martina Lindsay Veloso shoots a 10.3 to secure Singapore’s first gold at the Games!

WE HAVE A SHOOT-OFF!

Brilliant clutch-shooting from Mehuli! She needed a 10.9 to tie with Veloso at 247.2 and she nails it! What shooting from the youngster!

Apurvi wins bronze as Mehuli fights for gold

Apurvi shoots below 10.0 for the first time in the elimination stage of the final which sees her drop to third and be eliminated. Veloso is on 226.8 and Mehuli is on 226.0.

India assured of two medals as Apurvi moves to top after 20 shots

Veloso shoots 10.3 and 9.3 and Apurvi, 10.7 and 10.4 to be joint lead with 206.0. Mehuli gets to 205.0 which sees Bangladesh’s Ummey Sultana eliminated after 22 shots.

Mehuli climbs to second as Apurvi drops to third after 18 shots

Mehuli shoots two 10.7s to climb to 2nd as Apurvi’s 10.1 and 10.2 sees her drop to third. Veloso remains on top with 10.4 and 10.7.

Apurvi shortens gap on Veloso

Apurvi’s 10.2 and 10.5 combined with a 9.5 from Veloso sees Apurvi reduce the gap at the top. Mehuli remains at fourth with a 10.0 and 10.3.

Martina Veloso increases lead after 14 shots 

A 10.7 and a 10.6 sees Veloso move 1.7 points ahead of Apurvi. Mehuli shoots 10.4 and 10.7 to stay in fourth.

Apurvi Chandela climbs to second while Mehuli drops to fourth after 12 shots

Apurvi shoots 10.4 and 10.7 to climb to second while a 9.4 and 10.1 sees Mehuli dropping to fourth after 12 shots.

Manish Kaushik through to quarter-finals of men’s 60kg boxing

India’s Manish Kaushik wins his men’s 60kg round-of-16 clash against Michael Alexander of Trinidad and Tobago with a unanimous verdict.

Mehuli Ghosh second, Apurvi Chandela fifth after 10 shots

Singapore’s Martina Lindsay Veloso takes the lead ahead of Mehuli who shoots a 102. 8. Apurvi is still fifth with 102.1 points.

Mehuli on top after opening five shots

It is a very competitive field and it is apparent by the fact that only 0.8 points separate Mehuli Ghosh in the top with 51.8 points and Apurvi Chandela in fifth.

Manish Kaushik has upper hand in the opening round

Manish Kaushik has given a good account of himself so far in the first two periods in his Round-of-16 encounter against Michael Alexander or Trinidad and Tobago. The southpaw has beaten Shiva Thapa twice now, once in the Nationals and then in the India Open boxing championships.  His punches have been as clean as they are vicious.

Apurvi Chandela and Mehuli Ghosh in action in 10m air rifle final

Apurvi Chandela is the overwhelming favourite to win gold after bettering her qualification record earlier in the morning. Also in medal contention is Mehuli Ghosh and we might see two medals once again from a shooting event after!

Boxer Manish Kaushik in action in the 60kg round of 16 bout

2017 National Champion Manish Kaushik is up against Trinidad and Tobago’s Michael Alexander in the men’s 60kg round of 16 bout.

Gaurav Solanki wins!

Solanki wins with a unanimous decision going in his favour.

Gaurav Solanki gets the upper hand in the bout

Solanki finds himself on the canvas again in the third period. But he seems to have had the upper-hand at least in that two-minute phase. His punches found their mark and he successfully ducked and weaved away from the Ghanian’s punches.

Gaurav Solanki’s bout against Annang Ampiah evenly poised

India’s Gaurav Solanki could be in trouble in his men’s 52kg round-of-16 clash against Ghana’s Akimos Annang Ampiah if the first period is anything to go by. Ampiah seems to have a lethal left hook. It even left the Indian on the floor once. Solanki, fortunately, has chosen to respond to that blow with aggressive punching — and the second period saw him fighting fire with fire, throwing lightning-quick one-two combinations.

World No 4 Jitu Rai wins gold while Om Prakash Mitharwal settles for bronze

Jitu Rai, the 30-year-old Armyman from Lucknow, won India’s eighth gold at the Commonwealth Games through his 10m air pistol title, showcasing unflinching determination and poise throughout the final. His score of 235.1 is a new Games record. His younger team-mate Om Prakash Mitharwal, who equalled the Games Record in qualifying, secured bronze, ruing an 8.4 that came at the most inopportune time in the final. Had he scored better, he would have helped India realise its dreams of getting a 1-2. In the event, it was Australian Kerry Bell who squeezed himself between the two Indians. For Jitu Rai, this would have been some redemption who had shot a lowly 78.7 in the Olympic Games final to be the first to be eliminated. To be the last man standing today would have given him some satisfaction. But then as World No 4, he was expected to win this one.

Boxer Gaurav Solanki in action in men’s 52kg round of 16 bout

Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist Gaurav Solanki is up against Ghana’s Akimos Annang Ampiah in his 52kg round of 16 bout.

JITU RAI BREAKS GAMES RECORD TO WIN GOLD!

Om Prakash Mitharwal takes bronze

A poor 8.4 shot sees Om slip behind Kerry Bell and despite shooting 10.5 in his 22nd shot, it is not enough as Bell hangs on to the second spot.

India assured of medal as Repacholi is eliminated

India have been assured of a medal after defending champion Daniel Repacholi is eliminated after 20 shots. Will it be a one-two for India once again?

Two Indians and two Australians remain in the field after 18 shots

Trinidad and Tobago’s Roger Daniel is eliminated after 18 shots with Jitu and Om still in the lead followed by the Aussies Kerry Bell and Daniel Repacholi.

Jitu increases lead at top after 16 shots

Jitu shoots a 9.2 and 10.2 while Om shoots a 9.3 and 9.7 to stay in the gold and silver medal positions.

Jitu opens a two-point gap at the top

Jitu shoots a 10.2 and an 8.4 to take a 1.8-point lead over compatriot Om Prakash.

Jitu and Om lead after 12 shots

Jitu and Om are in the lead after first 12 shots with scores of 121.0 and 118.3. Meanwhile, defending champion Daniel Repacholi is in danger of being eliminated.

Jitu Rai leads in 10m air pistol final 

Jitu Rai leads by 2 points after 10 shots in the final of the 10m air pistol final. Om Prakash Mitharwal is close behind in third with a score of 98.1.

India are through to the finals of the men’s team event!

Sharath Kamal beats Singapore’s Xue Jie Pang 11-5, 11-5, 12-10 to help India reach the final! India beat Singapore 3-2 and are in the running to add to the gold won by the women yesterday!

Apurvi Chandela and Mehuli Ghosh qualify for women’s 10m air rifle final!

Defending champion Apurvi Chandela shattered her own Commonwealth Games qualifying record in the women’s 10m air rifle with an outstanding score of 432.2 points. She had set the mark at 415.6 in Glasgow in 2014. In the four years, the 25-year-old from Jaipur has had to bounce back from a poor showing in the Olympic Games when she finished 34th with a score of 411.6. The 17-year-old Mehuli Ghosh, who trains with Joydeep Karmakar in Kolkata, also qualified for the final with a score of 413.7. The final will be held at 9.00 am.

Apurvi Chandela and Mehuli Ghosh qualify for women’s 10m air rifle final!

Apurvi Chandela breaks her own Games qualification record of 415.6 by shooting 423.2. Joining Apurvi in the final will be Mehuli Ghosh who shot 413.7 to qualify as the fifth-best shooter.

India one game away from reaching the final!

India are only a game away from reaching the final of the men’s team event as Sharath Kamal leads Xue Jie Pang 2-0 in the final match of the semis.

Pardeep Singh’s gallant attempt in vain as he misses gold

Pardeep Singh made a gallant attempt to outperform Samoa’s Sanele Mao but had to settle for silver in the men’s 105kg class weightlifting competition with a total of 352 kgs. The 23-year-old from Jalandhar, Commonwealth Championship winner last year, lifted 209 kgs in clean and jerk to put pressure on his rival only for it to be ruled a no lift. The Samoan held a 2kg lead after lifting 154 kgs in snatch. Assured of a silver and in a bid to gain a bit of time between lifts, Pardeep and his coaches chose to attempt the 211 kgs that Sanele Mao had asked to be loaded on the barbell. He went close, raising Indian hopes of another gold, was not able to hold it. In the end, he had to be satisfied with having beaten England’s Owen Boxall and run the Samoan, who finished with 360 kgs close.

Valiant Sathiyan loses

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran went down fighting to Ning Gao in his singles match as Singapore levelled the score 2-2 in the men’s team semi-final. Ning won 11-5, 10-12, 11-4, 13-11. It is now up to India’s most-experienced paddler Sharath Kamal to ensure India make it to the final when he takes on Xue Jie Pang in the final match of this semi-final.

Pardeep Singh wins silver in the 105kg class!

Srihari’s CWG run ends

The 17-year-old Srihari Nataraj’s tryst with the Commonwealth Games swimming competition comes to an end after he clocks 2:04.75 in his 200m backstroke heats today. Of the three events that the Bengaluru lad competed in, this was the only one in which he did not improve his own National Record (2:04.11). He rewrote the 50m record to 26.47 in the heats and the 100m mark to 56.65 in the semifinals. There can be no doubt that he will have drawn a great deal from the Games in his preparation for the Youth Olympics and Asian Games later this year.

Pardeep Singh in a two-way battle for gold

India’s Pardeep Singh is in a two-way battle for gold medal in the 105kg class with Samoa’s Sanele Mao. Both the lifters nailed 200kg lifts in their first attempt but Mao leads by 2 kgs.

Apurvi Chandela breaks qualification record!

India’s Apurvi Chandela breaks her own Games qualification record of 415.6 she set in Glasgow with a score of 423.2.

High jumper Tejaswin Shankar clears first jump

In the men’s high jump qualifying, Tejaswin Shankar has cleared his first attempt of 2.10. While automatic qualifying is at 2.27m, at least 12 best performers will advance to the final. Tejaswin, who set the National Record with a 2.28m jump last month, needs a second attempt to clear 2.15m.

Hima Das qualifies for 400m semi-finals

India’s Hima Das, running in her first 400m international competition, booked her berth in the Commonwealth Games semifinals clocking a comfortable 52.11 second, just short of her stunning 51.97 seconds she timed in the Federation Cup in Patiala last month. The 18-year-old from Nagaon in Assam, has shifted from 100-200 to the 200-400 combination, was the eighth fastest qualifier. MR Poovamma was fifth in her heats in 53.72 and was left hoping for some luck to progress as one of the four fastest losers. That was not to be as her time was only the fifth fastest among those who did not qualify automatically.

Sathiyan-Harmeet win

India take a 2-1 lead in the men’s team event after the doubles pair of Sathiyan Gnansekaran and Harmeet Desai beat Xue Jie Pang and Shao Feng Ethan Poh 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8. Sathiyan will now take on Ning Gao in his singles match.

Swimmer Srihari Natraj fails to qualify for final

Srihari finishes sixth in heat 2 of the men’s 200m backstroke event, thus failing to qualify for the final

Pardeep needs to choose battles in clean and jerk

India’s Pardeep Singh lifted 152 kgs in snatch to be two kg behind Samoan leader Sanele Mao in the men’s 105kg weightlifting competition. The 23-year-old from Jalandhar faltered with his first lift at 148 kgs but succeeded with his next two lifts, showing a calm that covered any negative thoughts he may have had. Pardeep Singh and his coaches will be aware that the Samoan has lifted 200 kgs in clean and jerk. But with Ghana’s Richmond Osarfo and England’s Owen Boxall also lifting 152 kgs in snatch, they will have to be careful in choosing the battles to be fought.

Sathiyan-Harmeet take lead

Sathiyan and Harmeet have found their rhythm and take the third game 11-9 to be one game away from giving India the lead for the first time in the semi-final.

Sathiyan-Harmeet fight back

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Harmeet Desai fight back to take the second game 11-7.

Pardeep Singh joint-second after snatch variant

India’s Pardeep Singh lifts 152 kgs in his third attempt to be joint second with Ghana’s Richmond Osfaro and England’s Owen Boxall. Boxall had failed in his first two attempts but managed to lift 152 kgs under pressure to remain in contention. Samoa’s Sanele Mao takes a two kilo lead with a lift of 154 kgs.

Sathiyan-Harmeet lose first game

Xue Jie Pang and Shao Feng Ethan Poh take the first game 11-8 against India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran​ and Harmeet Desai.

Sharath Kamal wins to level the score for India

Effortless play from Sharath as he thrashes Shao Feng 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 to make it 1-1 for India against Singapore. The doubles pair of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran​ and Harmeet Desai. 

Pardeep fails in first attempt, nails second attempt

Not an ideal start for Pardeep as he rushes in his first attempt and fails to lift 148 kgs. He’s much better in his second try and lifts the weight. Pardeep has raised the bar to 153 kgs for his last attempt.

Om Prakash Mitharwal and Jitu Rai qualify for 10m air pistol final

Om Prakash Mitharval, a 22-year-old Armyman from Rajasthan, shot an impressive 584 points to top qualifying in the 10m air pistol. His series of 96, 96, 98, 99, 96 helped him equal the Commonwealth Games qualifying record, set by compatriot Omkar Singh set in Delhi in 2010. Om Prakash was 12 points clear of Roger Daniel (Trinidad & Tobago) who finished second. His senior, Jitu Rai was only fourth best in qualifying, a series of 92 and 94 bringing his total down to 570. The vastly experienced Jitu Rai will hope that he can shoot more consistently in the final which will be at 7.30 a.m. IST.

Sharath dominating Shao Feng

Effortless play from Sharath as he takes the second game 11-5 to get within one game of levelling the score with Singapore.

Sharath Kamal clinches first game

Sharath starts strongly in his match against  Shao Feng Ethan Poh as he takes the first game 11-5.

Om Prakash Mitharwal equals Games qualification record

With shots of 96, 96, 98, 99, 96 and 99, Om has equalled the qualification record set by compatriot Omkar Singh back at the Delhi Games!

India trail Singapore after first match in men’s team event

Harmeet Desai loses 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 to the experienced Ning Gao as Singapore take a 1-0 lead in the semi-final. It is now up to Sharath Kamal to get India back in the match with a win against the 234th-ranked Shao Feng Ethan Poh.

Pardeep Singh in action in men’s 105kg event

Commonwealth Championships gold medallist Pardeep is one of the favourites to add to India’s medals but it won’t be easy with the competition facing him. In the fray are defending champion David Katoatau from Kiribati, Glasgow and New Delhi silver medallist, Stanislav Chalaev from New Zealand. Also in medal contention are Samoa’s Sanele Mao who finished second behind Pardeep at the Commonwealth Championships last year and England’s Owen Boxall, who was fourth in Glasgow.

Harmeet loses second game

Ning Gao shows his class and experience against Harmeet to win the second game 11-5. Harmeet needs to up the ante in the next game to stay in the match.

Ning Gao takes first game against Harmeet Desai

The experienced Singaporean wins the first game 11-9 but encouraging signs for Harmeet as he forced Ning into some errors and was only a couple of good shots away from winning the game.

Harmeet Desai takes on Ning Gao in first match

Harmeet Desai has a huge task on his hand as he takes on Ning Goa who is ranked 27 places above him in the 47th spot in the singles ranking. A win would give India a huge confidence boost.

Indian male paddlers look to replicate women’s success

The Indian men’s table tennis team will take on Singapore in the semi-final at the Oxenford Studios where the women beat Singapore to win a historic gold. The men have been dominant at the games, lodging a hattrick of 3-0 wins on the way to the semi-finals. On the other hand, Singapore were stretched to the limit by Canada in the quarter-final. An exciting semi-final up next!

Sheeraz Sheikh and Smit Singh in action in men’s skeet shooting

Also in action are skeet shooter Sheeraz Sheikh and Smit Singh for the final two rounds of their qualification. The duo are seventh and 11th after the first two rounds and need to shoot better to make it to the top six and reach the final.

Jitu Rai and Om Prakash Mitharwal in action in 10m air pistol qualification

Jitu, who won gold in the 50m pistol event in Glasgow in 2014, will be favourite along with Om Prakash to finish on the podium. Th duo had won bronze and silver respectively at the Commonwealth Championships last year and one can expect them to add to India’ medal tally.

Day 5 Schedule

First up for India on Day 5 is the men’s skeet qualification where Sheeraz Sheikh and Smit Singh are in action. Also in action are shooters Jitu Rai and Om Prakash in the men’s 10m air pistol while Mehuli Ghosh and Apurvi Chandela will be in action in the corresponding women’s event. Expect a couple of medals there! Click here to check out the full schedule for Day 5.

Indian women rake in the medals on Day 4

Manu Bhaker, Punam Yadav and the Manika Batra-led women’s table tennis team won gold as India enjoyed a fruitful Day 4. Manu and Heena Sidhu made it a one-two for India in the women’s 10m air pistol event while boxing legend MC Mary Kom reached the semi-finals in the women’s 48kg category assuring herself of a first CWG medal. 

Hello and welcome to Live coverage of Day 5 of Commonwealth Games 2018. India bagged 3 gold medals on Day 4 and will be keen to add more silverware to their tally on Day 5.

Stick around for all the Live updates from Gold Coast