Commonwealth Games 2018: India defeat defending champions Malaysia, win maiden mixed badminton gold medal

Gold Coast: 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 in Gold Coast on Monday. [caption id="" align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Indian badminton team celebrates winning gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018. Reuters[/caption] 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.