CWG badminton: Saina, Jwala-Ashwini make history (Roundup)

NEW DELHI - India’s badminton star Saina Nehwal became the first Indian woman to win the singles gold while Jwala Gutta and Ashiwni Ponnappa also became country’s first pair to win gold at Commonwealth Games. The two medals helped India take the second place, edging out England, for their best ever finish at Games.

Jwala and Aswhini stunned top seeded Singapore’s Shari Shinta Mulia and Yao Lei 21-16, 21-19 in the final of the women’s doubles.

After Jwala and Ashwini sizzled with their brilliant show, the packed hall eagerly awaited for World No. 3 Saina to take the courts.

Saina beat Malaysian Mew Choo Wong 19-21, 23-21, 21-13 in an edge-of-the-seat thriller before a capacity crowd. She saved a match point to script a sensational come-from-behind victory.

“I kept on telling myself that I can pull this off and Gopi sir (Pullela Gopichand) gave me the confidence that I should focus on getting one point.”

“She is a tough player. She was retrieving everything. It was a tough match. I am happy to win this gold.

“I was tense at the start. And it happens to other players also when they play in front of the home crowd. I do not feel any pressure till I reach the final.”

“The crowd has been fantastic. They kept on cheering me for the entire tournament. I wanted to give something back to them. So I threw my racquet and towel. A small gesture from my side to appreciate their support.

Legendary Prakash Padukone (1978) and the late Syed Modi (1982) were the two men players to win the singles gold in the Games.

India thus won two gold medals and one bronze (Parupalli Kashyap in men’s singles) from the badminton courts of Siri Fort Sports Complex on the concluding day of the Delhi Games.

Saina looked nervous in the beginning, making a lot of errors, but regained her composure as the match wore on, playing like a champion. Wong broke free from 4-4 to open up a 9-4 lead. Wong led 18-14 and despite a late comeback by Saina, the Malaysian managed to win the first game.

The gripping second game, that went for 25 minutes, saw both players fighting tooth and nail. Saina trailed 1-4 but caught up with the Malaysian pocketing three points. From then on, the two played long rallies, waiting for the opponent’s mistakes.

The game ebbed and flowed both ways before the Indian faced a matchpoint at 20-21. The tension in the stands was palpable. There was huge sigh of relief when Saina saved the match point. She showed her mental toughness as she drew level and the crowd erupted in deafening roar.

Saina then looked in command in the decider. She played like the World No.3 even as Wong looked tired. Showing good reflexes and net play, Saina finished off the points with clinical precision to win the thriller in 70-minutes.

Ealier, Jwala and Ashwini, seeded second, won the match in 39 minutes amidst loud cheers.

“It is a very emotional moment for us,” Jwala said, holding back tears. “We played very well today. It was an important match for us and we were steady throughout the match.”

The two have been in sensational form throughout the tournament and Thursday dictated terms right from the start. They retrieved with finesse and attacked with power.