History is made! Some of the country's best shuttlers -- Ashwini Ponnappa, Satwik Rankireddy, Kidambi Srikanth and Saina Nehwal -- gave India its maiden mixed team gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Monday (April 9).
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What drew our attention the most is that it was Saina Nehwal who shone with a perfectly-timed performance. She led the team to clinch its first gold against Malaysia.
It is the country's first celebratory mixed team badminton gold at any edition of the CWG. All thanks to the man behind the team -- Pullela Gopichand
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The Olympic bronze medallist shuttler is one of Gopichand's pupils and was determined to make a mark at the podium this year. And, World No 12 Saina did not disappoint and has now taken India's overall medal tally to 19 at the ongoing CWG.
Team India entered the final at Gold Coast having shown a consistent dominance over Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Scotland, Mauritius and Singapore
Before the game started off, Saina was upset as her father Harvir Singh Nehwal’s name was removed from the Indian team’s officials list for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The shuttler did protest this.
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Saina has recently received the Youth Icon award at the inaugural TOISA in 2015 and had won an individual gold in the 2010 CWG in New Delhi and mixed team silver and bronze in 2010 and 2006 respectively. On the other hand, Ponnappa was part of the women's doubles pair that won gold in 2010 and silver in Glasgow, apart from a mixed team silver in 2010.
Congratulations to Team India!!!
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