IRELAND maintained their unbeaten record at the World team badminton championship in Glasgow yesterday with a 4-1 win over bottom-of-the-table Kazakhstan. After three wins, victory over Belarus would give them promotion to Division Four.

Yesterday, Donal O'Halloran and Jayne Plunkett came up against some stern opposition in their mixed doubles game, but held form to prevail 15-5, 10-15, 15-3. Bruce Topping and Sonya McGinn both notched up easy singles wins against outclassed opposition.

However, Topping and Michael O'Meara were twice forced to come from behind to win their doubles tie 18-13, 18-17. They saved game point five times in the second. McGinn and Plunkett trailed all the way to a 11-15, 11-15 women's doubles defeat.