Manika the star as paddlers dominate

Gold Coast: Manika Batra’s sensational run at the Common-wealth Games culminated with a fourth medal in as many events while India emerged as the best table tennis nation with a record eight medals including three gold.

With 26 gold, 20 silver and as many bronze medals, India signed off third on the table — a promotion of two positions from Glasgow.

At 2010 Games in New Delhi, India won 101 medal, including 38 gold while at 2002 Manchester Games India had managed a total of 69 medal of which 30 were gold.

Batra teamed up with G. Sathiyan to collect the mixed doubles bronze, beating compatriots Sharath Kamal and Mouma Das 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 to claim the honours in the play-off on Sunday.

This was Batra’s fourth medal of the Games. She had earlier won a historic women’s singles gold and was also a part of the top-finishing women’s team. In the women’s doubles, she had a silver with Mouma Das.

Meanwhile, Kamal clinched his third medal of the Games by taking a bronze in the men’s singles beating Samuel Walker of England 4-1 (11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10).

Overall, a 10-member Indian table tennis team secured eight medals (three gold, two silver and three bronze) medals in the Games, their best ever showing in the quadrennial event. India finished at the top of the rankings for the first time, leaving behind old rivals Singapore and England.
silver for Pallikal, Chinappa

India ended their campaign in squash with two silver medals after Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa went down fighting in the women’s doubles final.

Pallikal and Chinappa, who had won a historic gold in Glasgow Games four years ago, fell short against the New Zealand combine of Joelle King and Amanda-Landers Murphy losing 9-11, 8-11 in the title clash. “New Zealand played well, we had a few bad calls,” Chinappa said.

“We still managed to get a silver four years later (2014 Glasgow gold medallists).”