Markis, Hendra avenge defeat, win gold

Indonesian Olympic champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan outdueled Malaysian arch-rivals Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong to win the men’s doubles title in badminton competition at the Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane on Thursday.

It was a sweet revenge for the Indonesian duo, who triumped in straights sets 21-17, 21-17 to give their country its fourth gold medal in the regional competition.

Markis and Hendra had lost to the Malaysians in the men’s team final which was eventually won by Indonesia 3-1 on Sunday.

Earlier on Thursday, Simon Santoso downed Sony Dwi Kuncoro to clinch the men’s singles crown in an all-Indonesian final.

In the women’s singles competition the gold medal went toThailand’s Salakjit Ponsana who outlasted compatriot Ratchanok I 21-14, 18-21, 21-10.

Malaysian pair Chin Eei Hui and Wong Pei Tty claimed the women’s doubles final with an easy 21-12, 21-11 win over Singapore’s Shinta M Sari andYao Lei.