Commonwealth Games: Double joy for shuttlers
By Vijesh Rai | New Straits Times – 1 hour 41 minutes ago
GLASGOW: Two badminton gold medals brought the curtains down on Malaysia's Commonwealth Games campaign as men's doubles Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong and women's doubles Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo ensured the Jalur Gemilang flew high at the Emirates Arena today.
The target of seven was not met - Malaysia won six gold medals - but that didn't matter to the shuttlers who delivered three despite losing the men's singles title.
V Shem-Wee Kiong beat Singapore's Danny Chrisnanta-Chayut Triyachart 21-12, 12-21, 21-15. The bronze went to England's Chris Langridge-Peter Mills.
"We were desperate to win and that was the reason why we lost the second game. We calmed down in the third and that reduced our mistakes," said V Shem.
Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo showed nerves of steel in their triumph, fighting to save five game points in the second to beat India's 2010 champions Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponnappa 21-17, 23-21.
The Indians led 20-16 and then 21-20 in the second game but the Malaysians refused to give up as they added another gold to the one won in the mixed team.
"This victory means so much to us, especially as Malaysia needed the gold," said Khe Wei.
The pair won the 2013 Sea Games gold in Myanmar but Vivian said the Commonwealth Games title meant even more.
"We came to Glasgow knowing that we had a chance to win the gold and I am glad that we managed to do so," said Vivian.
Malaysia were denied another medal in the women's doubles as Lai Pei Jing-Lim Loo Yin were beaten 16-21, 21-15, 21-16 by England's Gabrielle Adcock-Lauren Smith in the bronze playoff held on Saturday.
India's P. Kashyap beat Derek Wong of Singapore 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 for the men's singles gold while another Indian, R.V. Gurusaidutt took the bronze.
Canada's Michelle Li emerged as the women's singles champion with a 21-14, 21-7 whipping of Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour. The bronze went to India's P.V. Sindhu, who beat Malaysia's Tee Jing Yi 21-12, 21-9 in the playoff.
The mixed doubles gold was won by the husband and wife pair of Chris-Gabreille Adcock who beat Langridge-Heather Olver 21-9, 21-12 in an all-England final. Malaysia were also denied the bronze here as Pei Jing-Chan Peng Soon fell 21-17, 21-11 to Scotland's Robert Blair-Imogen Bankier in the playoff.
