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