Cakewalk for Indian shuttlers

The farcical nature of an uneven contest was highlighted when India [ Images ] blanked Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in a preliminary league match of the badminton competition at the Commonwealth Games [ Images ] in Melbourne [ Images ] on Thursday.

It became very obvious that the organizers, in their bid to add to the numbers, did not give any consideration to the standard of teams participating. Certainly, the India-Trinidad and Tobago badminton match did not deserve to feature at this level of the Games.

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The Indians did not even have to stretch and there was no question of sweating.

Aparna Popat first realised the quality of the opposition as she thumped N Blake 21-7, 21-3. Chetan Anand [ Images ], ranked 21st in the world, made short work of D Charles, winning 21-8, 21-4 to make it 2-0 for India, and then in women doubles Shruti Kurian and Trupti Murugunde finished the assignment, hammering the hapless combination of N Blake and Quan Chee 21-7, 21-2.

Rupesh`Kumar and Sanave Thomas [ Images ] accounted for D Charles and D Siu 21-7, 21-8 and in the mixed doubles Jawal Gutta and V Diju were in an expensive mood as they overcame Chee Quan and A Seepaul 21-12, 21-1.