Indian shuttlers off
to winning start

Eighth seeds India crushed the Seychelles 5-0 to record their second win in Group D in the mixed event in the badminton competition at the Commonwealth Games.

Nikhil Kanetkar and Trupti Murgunde crushed Nicholas Jumaye and Katherina Paulin of the Seychelles 7-0, 7-0, 7-2.

Abhinn Shyam Gupta inflicted similar punishment on Georgie Cupidon with a 7-0, 7-0, 7-0 rout.

Juliette Ah-Wan put up more resistance than her team-mates in the third game, but B R Meenakshi was too strong for her and sent India into a 3-0 lead with a 7-0, 7-4, 7-4 triumph.

India made it 4-0, with Marcos Bristow and Sachin Ratti sweeping aside Cupidon and Jumaye 7-0, 7-0, 7-2.

They completed the 5-0 scoreline with C H Deepti and Neelima Chowdary posting an easy win over Ah Wan and Paulin to win 7-1, 7-3, 7-1.

Earlier, India began their Manchester campaign with an impressive 5-0 mauling of Northern Ireland in their opening Group D encounter on Friday afternoon.

Results:

India 5 - Northern Ireland 0
Men's Doubles: Sanave Thomas & V Diju (Ind) bt Graham Henderson & Eugene McKenna (NIrl) 3-1 (7-4 7-3 4-7 8-7)
Men's Singles: Pullela Gopi Chand (Ind) bt Bruce Topping (NIrl) 3-0 (7-2 7-1 7-0)
Women's Doubles: Shruti Kurian & Gutta Jwala (Ind) bt Claire Henderson & Jayne Plunkett (NIrl) 3-0 (7-4 7-0 7-3)
Women's Singles: Aparna Popat (Ind) bt Claire Henderson (NIrl) 3-0 (7-3 7-0 7-1)
Mixed - Doubles: Gutta Jwala & V Diju (Ind) bt Jayne Plunkett & Bruce Topping (NIrl) 3-1 (7-3 3-7 7-2 7-0)