India is eyeing the first pair of gold medals from its judokas as Navjot Chana and Shushila Likmabam qualified for the final in their respective categories at the Commonwealth Games at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) here Thursday.
Indian shuttlers also started their campaign thrashing Ghana 5-0 in Group B of the mixed team event at the Emirates Arena. They next face Uganda later in the day.
Meanwhile, 30-year-old Chana and 19-year-old Shushila are on the verge of winning the first gold for India. Chana, who is employed with Punjab Police, beat South African Daniel Le Grange in the semi-finals of the men's -60kg category while Shushila got the better of Australian Chloe Rayner in the semi-final of the women's -48kg category.
Shushila first beat Cameroon's Marie Medza Effa in the Round of 16 and then got the better of Australian Amy Meyer in the quarter-final where she picked up three shidos (light penalty) but got an ippon, full point.
Chana, who is employed with Punjab Police, had beaten Brandon Dodge of Wales in the quarterfinal. Both Chana and Dodge suffered two penalties but the Indian got a ippon and waza-ari to make it to the semi-final.
He also had a convincing win over 23-year-old Tom Pappas of Australia in the Round of 16. Chana had three shidos, minor violations, but managed two yukos to finish off in style.
However, it was the end of road for Manjeet Nandal, who lost his men's -66kg quarter-final bout to English Colin Oates, who picked up a shido just after the first minute but finished it off with an ippon.
It has been an impressive show by Nandal who won both his bouts (Round of 32 and 16) in comprehensive fashion. The 24-year-old from Haryana first beat Malta's Jeremy Saywell by O-Soto-Gari.
Next up, Nandal got the better of Asa Weithers of Barbados. He had a shido in the first minute but also had two waza-ari to seal the bout comprehensively, entering the last eight.
Meerut girl Shivani lost her Round of 16 match in the -57kg category as she picked up three consecutive shidos against Canada's Jessica Kimklait.
In badminton, India dominated the proceedings right from the start as Parupalli Kashyap beat Daniel Sam 21-6, 21-16 in 27 minutes in the men's singles match.
World Championship bronze medallist P.V. Sindhu then doubled the lead with a 21-7, 21-5 win over Stella Amasah in women's singles. The men's doubles pair of Akshay Dewalkar and Pranaav Chopra made it 3-0 beating Emmanuel Donkor and Abraham Ayittey 21-7, 21-11 in just 22 minutes.
The women's doubles defending champion pair Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa took barely 17 minutes to beat Evelyn Botwe and Diana Archer 21-4, 21-10. In the last tie, singles players P.C. Thulasi and Kidambi Srikanth paired up to beat Sam and Amasah 21-5, 21-9 in the mixed doubles to seal Ghana's misery.
