Gayatri-Treesa’s Worlds Medal Earns Gopichand’s Praise

Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly’s landmark World Championships run ended one match short of the title clash, but the Indian women’s doubles pair left with a medal and high praise from chief coach Pullela Gopichand.

Gayatri and Treesa lost 21-18, 13-21, 8-21 to world No. 1 and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in the women’s doubles semi-finals. Their campaign nevertheless delivered a significant result for Indian badminton, ending a long wait for a World Championships medal in the discipline.

India had last won a women’s doubles medal at the BWF World Championships in 2011, when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa claimed bronze in London. Gayatri and Treesa have now joined an elite group of Indian players to have stood on the World Championships podium.

A landmark women’s doubles campaign

The semi-final began encouragingly for the Indian pair, who took the opening game 21-18 against Liu and Tan. The defending champions responded strongly, however, taking the second game 21-13 and then closing the decider 21-8 to secure their place in the final.

While the defeat ended Gayatri and Treesa’s hopes of reaching the title match, their route to the last four and their medal carry substantial value for the pair and for India’s women’s doubles programme. Gopichand said the performance had given the young players further belief in what they can achieve.

Speaking to NDTV, Gopichand addressed his dual role as national chief coach and Gayatri’s father. He said he viewed the achievement with pride in both capacities, while also acknowledging that a final appearance would have been an even bigger outcome.

“I think both. Whenever I am on court, it is the coach in me, but when I’m outside, it is the father,” Gopichand said. “I think both Treesa and Gayatri have done us proud. They fought really well and I am happy with the medal. Of course, I would have loved to see them going to the final but, they have done well.”

He also pointed to the quality of opposition the pair overcame during their tournament run. “They have beaten the top players, so I think it has been a great performance,” he said.

Coach sees room for further progress

Gopichand said Gayatri and Treesa bring a distinctive style to the court, and he highlighted their ability to compete despite conditions that he felt were not naturally suited to them. He described the slow courts as a particular challenge for the pair, but said their showing suggested they could continue to progress.

“They play a very different game,” Gopichand said. “It’s good to see them because these conditions typically are not the best conditions for them in terms of the slow courts. But I think they can go far. They are both young and hopefully, in the years to come, we will get more results.”

The World Championships medal arrives as Indian badminton looks ahead to the upcoming Asian Games. Gopichand described the Indian squad as strong overall, naming Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth among the men’s singles options. He also cited Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty as a strong doubles combination.

On the women’s side, he noted PV Sindhu’s form and identified Gayatri and Treesa alongside young singles player Tanvi Sharma as part of a promising group. Gopichand said he was optimistic about the team’s prospects, adding that he believed India would deliver a good performance at the Asian Games.

For Gayatri and Treesa, the immediate World Championships disappointment is balanced by a historic podium finish, a first-game semi-final statement against the top-ranked defending champions, and a result that has renewed attention on India’s women’s doubles potential.