BADMINTON

BADMINTON

The badminton players were given a warm reception on their arrival. However, the officials of the AP Olympic Association and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh were not there to receive the players.

No doubt, Asian Games is a totally different proposition with the Chinese and the Indonesians taking part. But going into that with the gold in your kitty should make you confident, if not complacent," India's best woman shuttler remarked.

Saina Nehwal believes that the 'golden performance' of the Indian badminton team in the recently-held Delhi Commonwealth Games should be a huge morale booster for the next months' Asian Games in China. "This is an unbelievable performance, especially given the fact that not many have given us a chance in the women's doubles. Hats off to the doubles pair of Jwala and Aswani for their magnificent performance," she commented on arrival along with her teammates here on Saturday after a successful campaign in the Games.

wala Gutta and Aswani Ponappa, the women's doubles pair which clinched the gold, are equally delighted. 'It has been a fabulous week in Delhi. We defied all odds and surprised many with our gold," remarked Jwala. "The understanding between us was amazing and I should reiterate that Ashwani played much better than many would have expected. She is a fantastic player and never really showed any nerve in the final," Jwala pointed out.

Chief national coach Pullela Gopi Chand termed the Indian shuttlers' show in the Delhi Games as a huge reminder of the ability of these players under demanding conditions. "It was a great week for Indian badminton itself. I think many are forgetting that we won the team silver too which is a creditable achievement. Saina, though she had to put her best foot forward, winning singles is somewhat expected given her ranking but the icing on the cake was the women's doubles gold. It was a fantastic display by them," he concluded.