India started to assert their dominance in bad-minton in the sub continent when they lifted both J® gold medals in men and women's team events of the 11th South Asian (SA) Games at the newly-built Wooden Floor Gymnasium near Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Both the men and women's teams defeated their Sri Lankan counterparts to retain gold medals with identical straight 3-0 victory.

India, who had won all seven badminton gold in the Colombo SA Games in 2006, brought the top- class shuttiers though a couple of world-ranked players like Saina Nehwal and Neha Pandit did not come here due to their busy international schedules.

Though the Indian women's team comprising Sayali Gokhala, TYupti Murgunde and Thulasi PC won their respective sets convincingly, the men's team consisting of Chetan Anand, Gurusaidutta and Avita Raviprakash struggled a bit in their second set following emphatic victories in the first set.

Sayali Gokhala beat Thilini S Jayasinghe 21-4, 21-11, TYupti Murgunde defeated Remu Hettiarachchige 21-9 before facing a tough challenge in the second set where she won the game 21-19.

Thulasi PC also won the first game easily 21-13 against Achini N Rathnasir, who began promisingly in the second set, but finallywent21-17 downintheset.

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"Sayali and Thipti, the national champion, played better to win both of their sets, but it was a bit difficult for Thulasi, who has just crossed the hurdles of junior level, but she finally controlled the games to win," said coach Archana Decodhar, who represented India for 12 years.

Archana hoped that the women's singles would be all Indian final.

Chetan beat Niluka Karunaratne 21-12 and 21-18, Gurusaidutta beat Dinuka Karunaratne 21-8, 21-18 and Avita Raviprakash beat Nuan DJ HettiarachcM 21 -10 and 21 -15.

"After having won the first games, the players might feel relaxed and faced challenge from the opponents in their second set, but they finally got their rhythm back and won the matches,” said coach Dipankar Bhattacherjee after the match.

Bhattacherjee said that they brought here their world-class shuttiers for the meet as a part of the preparation for the Commonwealth Games in India later this year.

The coach from West Bengal also hoped that India would win all six gold medals yet to be decided to maintain their full dominance in the sub continent

He, however, said India were looking forward to finishing top in badminton of the upcoming Commonwealth Games in their own den and expecting a challenge from Malaysia.