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COMMONWEALTH GAMES: MALAYSIA, ENGLAND WIN TEAM GOLD MEDALS

September 14, 1998 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Host country Malaysia did as expected at the 1998 Commonwealth Games badminton men's team event and easily captured the gold medal, despite the absence of injured singles star Ong Ewe Hock. In the last tie of the medal round played tonight, the Malaysians beat England 4 matches to 1 to finish the competition undefeated.

The Malaysians were so dominant in the men's team event that they could have gone through all their ties with 5-0 scores. The only matches that they lost was the first singles against India when Ong was injured and the third singles of tonight's tie against England when they already held a 4-0 advantage and the home crowd wanted to get on with the coronation of their badminton heroes. Doubles specialist Choong Tan Fook, drafted to play third singles because of the injury to Ong Ewe Hock, obliged with coach Morten Frost's approval and gave a walkover to Peter Knowles.

In the women's team event, second-seeded England took the gold medal although in a much less convincing fashion. The three English women's singles players were beaten in their tie against India and the English side lost 2 matches to 3. They ended up in a tie for first place with Malaysia.

However, since England had beaten the Malaysian women yesterday, the tie was broken in England's favor and the English were awarded the gold medal.

India took the silver medal in the men's event. They had defeated the English side 3 matches to 2 earlier today.

England and New Zealand settled for bronze medals in the men's team event. India and Australia took the bronze medals in the women's team contest.

Following are the results of the final day of badminton team competition at the 1998 Commonwealth Games being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (names of winning team's players first):

Men's Team
Morning Session
India beat England 3-2 (Pullela Gopi Chand beat Darren Hall 15-7, 15-2; Jaseel Ismail/Vincent Lobo lost to Simon Archer/Christoper Hunt 10-15, 4-15; Nikhil Kanetkar beat Mark Constable 15-3, 15-6; George Thomas/Markose Bristow lost to Julian Robertson/Nathan Robertson 10-15, 5-15; Abhinshyam Gupta beat Peter Knowles 15-5, 13-15, 15-13)

Malaysia beat New Zealand 5-0 (Yong Hock Kin beat Nicholas Hall 15-9, 15-5; Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah beat Antonio Gargiulo/Geoffrey Bellingham 15-1, 15-1; Wong Choon Wah beat Jarrod King 15-0, 15-2; Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock beat Dean Galt/Daniel Shirley 15-7, 15-2; Choong Tan Fook beat Christoper Blair 15-7, 15-12)

Evening Session
Malaysia beat England 4-1 (Yong Hock Kin beat Darren Hall 15-8, 15-4; Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah beat Julian Robertson/Nathan Robertson 15-12, 15-13; Wong Choon Hann beat Mark Constable 15-8, 15-8; Cheah Soon Kit/Yap Kim Hock beat Simon Archer/Christoper Hunt 15-8, 15-5; Choong Tan Fook lost to Peter Knowles - walk over)

India beat New Zealand 4-1 (Pullela Gopi Chand beat Nick Hall 15-10, 15-2; Jaseel Ismail/Vincent Lobo lost to Dean Galt/Daniel Shirley 1-15, 6-15; Nikhil Kanetkar beat Geoffrey Bellingham 15-9, 15-8; George Thomas/Markose Bristow beat Antonio Gargiulo/Nicholas Hall 10-15, 15-8, 15-7; Abhinshyam Gupta beat Dean Galt 15-12, 15-5)

Women's Team
Morning Session
Malaysia beat India 3-2 (Woon Sze Mei lost to Aparna Popat 9-11, 7-11; Chor Hooi Yee/Lim Pek Siah beat Manjusha Kanwar/Archana Deodhar 15-5, 15-3; Law Pei Pei beat Neelima Choudhary 11-6, 11-3; Joanne Quay/Norhashikin Amin beat Madhumita Bisht/P.V.V. Lakshmi 15-11, 15-6; Ng Mee Fen lost to Manjusha Kanwar 8-11, 11-6, 2-11)

England beat Australia 5-0 (Julia Mann beat Michaela Smith 11-1, 11-2; Donna Kellogg/Joanne Goode beat Rhonda Cator/Amanda Hardy 15-11, 15-3; Tracey Hallam beat Kellie Lucas 11-3, 11-5; Sara Sankey/Joanne Davis beat Michaela Smith/ Kate Wilson-Smith 15-5, 15-9; Rebecca Pantaney beat Rayoni Head 13-12, 11-3)

Evening Session
India beat England 3-2 (Aparna Popat beat Julia Mann 11-2, 1-11, 11-6; Archana Deodhar/Deepthi Chapala lost to Joanne Goode/Donna Kellogg 0-15, 2-15; Neelima Choudary beat Tracey Hallam 7-11, 11-2, 11-9; Madhumita Bisht/Lakshmi P.V.V. lost to Joanne Davies/Sara Sankey 7-15, 0-15; Manjusha Kanwar beat Rebecca Pantaney 11-6, 11-6)

Malaysia beat Australia 5-0 (Woon Sze Mei beat Michaela Smith 11-4, 11-3; Law Pei Pei beat Kellie Lucas 12-13, 11-6, 11-1; Chor Hooi Yee/Lim Pek Siah beat Rhonda Cator/Amanda Hardy 15-12, 15-12; Ng Mee Fen beat Rayoni Head 11-4, 11-1; Joanne Quay/Norhashikin Amin beat Kellie Lucas/Sarah Hicks 15-4, 15-8)

(aplayer/dsimmons)