New Delhi: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have delivered a landmark moment for Indian badminton, ending a 15-year wait for a women’s doubles medal at the BWF World Championships.
The unseeded Indian pair produced a stunning comeback against China’s fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian, winning 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 in a gripping quarterfinal that lasted 69 minutes.
From one game down to the podium
The Chinese pair controlled the opening exchanges and took the first game 21-16. But Treesa and Gayatri refused to let the match slip away.
The Indians raised their intensity in the second game, attacking more confidently and improving their net play to level the contest at 21-15. In the decider, they kept the pressure on and completed the turnaround with a 21-13 win.
It was a victory built on patience, aggression and an electric home crowd at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
The pair later acknowledged the impact of the supporters, with Gayatri describing the home atmosphere as a major boost. The duo also credited coach Pullela Gopichand for helping them settle after the difficult opening game.
“It’s not stopping yet”
The achievement guaranteed India at least a bronze medal, but the players are not satisfied with simply reaching the podium.
Treesa and Gayatri made their mindset clear after the historic win: “It’s not stopping yet.”
That attitude perfectly captures the nature of their campaign. The pair entered the tournament unseeded, but have now knocked out the fourth-seeded Chinese combination and moved into the last four.
15 years after Jwala-Ashwini
The significance of the victory goes beyond one match.
India’s previous women’s doubles World Championships medal came in 2011, when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in London. Treesa and Gayatri have now become only the second Indian women’s doubles pair to secure a World Championships medal.
Their journey is even more remarkable considering Treesa’s injury earlier this year. She underwent rehabilitation after suffering muscle and ligament damage in her ankle before returning to international competition. The pair subsequently rebuilt their rhythm and won the Philippine International Challenge earlier this month.
What happened next?
The Indian pair’s reward is a semifinal against world No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China. A medal is already secured, but another victory would take Treesa and Gayatri into a World Championships final and put them within touching distance of gold.
For now, one fact stands above everything else:
India waited 15 years for another women’s doubles World Championships medal. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand finally delivered it — and they did it by fighting back from a game down.
Match Details
Quarterfinal: Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand vs Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian
Result: Treesa/Gayatri won
Score: 16-21, 21-15, 21-13
Duration: 69 minutes
Chinese pair: World No. 4 / fourth seeds
Indian pair: Unseeded
Result: Semifinal qualification
Medal: At least bronze assured
Last Indian women’s doubles World Championships medal: Jwala Gutta/Ashwini Ponnappa, 2011
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