Badminton gold medallists Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta cheered in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD - Ace badminton players Saina Nehwal and Jwala Gutta returned to their hometown in Andhra Pradesh here on Saturday.

Family members and numerous fans waited to welcome the badminton gold medallists outside the Hyderabad airport.
Nehwal beat Singapore’s Mew Choo Wong 19-21 23-21 21-13 and clinched the gold medal at the Siri Fort complex during the just concluded XIX Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Nehwal said it was one of the toughest competitions in her career.

“I can never forget this match in my life because it was such a tough match and I was match point round and still went on winning the match. It was amazing and I think the toughest match that I have ever played in my life,” said Nehwal.

Pullela Gopichand, Nehwal’s coach, said that the badminton players had given their best shot at the Games.

“I think badminton has done extremely well at the Commonwealth Games. We’ve had two gold medals; we have a silver and a bronze; specially, I think the two gold medals coming on as the 37th and the 38th medal for us to equal and to beat England has been something fantastic, which we are all proud of,” said Gopichand.

“The event was such a great event. The whole country was looking forward, the whole atmosphere of sport in the country looks up and we believe that badminton has done fantastically well and our players have really contributed to their bit for the Games,” he added.

The duo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa also created history by becoming the first Indian women to win the gold in the badminton doubles event at the Commonwealth Games.

Gutta said that playing in mixed doubles and doubles wasn’t an easy job.

“We are a very good pair and I think in future I’m sure you’ll see us winning a lot of medals. I think we played a very well team championship, so it happens sometimes that you know, mixed doubles and doubles both my jobs were very tough,” said Gutta.

“You know it was not easy to win but I’m glad that we won, even though it was unexpected, it was not at all expected from me but we did it,” she added.

Gutta and Ponnappa won the match against Singaporean Yao Lei and Sari Shinta Mulia by 21-16, 21-19. By Omar Farooq (ANI)