Indian women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a historic bronze medal at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi on Saturday, August 22, after losing their semi-final to China’s top-seeded and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning. The Indians won the opening game 21-18 but could not maintain their momentum, eventually losing 13-21, 8-21 in a match lasting 71 minutes.
Despite falling short of the final, the result marks India’s first women’s doubles World Championships medal since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in 2011. The unseeded Indian pair’s run has emerged as one of the highlights of the tournament, with their performance signalling growing strength in India’s women’s doubles badminton.
A Historic Podium Finish
Playing before a home crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Treesa and Gayatri began the semi-final with confidence against the world No. 1 Chinese pair. They edged a closely fought opening game 21-18, raising hopes of a place in the final. However, Liu and Tan responded strongly, taking control of the second game and winning it 21-13 before pulling away decisively in the third, 21-8.
The defeat ended India’s hopes of a gold or silver medal in the event, but the semi-final appearance guaranteed the Indians a bronze under the World Championships format. For Treesa and Gayatri, the medal is their maiden World Championships podium finish and a significant milestone in their careers. Reflecting on the result, Treesa said, “Today was not our day,” explaining that the Chinese pair regained their rhythm while the Indians lost theirs. She nevertheless described the entire week as an “amazing” campaign.
Journey To The Medal
The bronze is particularly significant because Treesa and Gayatri arrived at the tournament as an unseeded pair and had already produced a series of impressive performances. In the quarter-finals, they defeated China’s world No. 4 pair Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian 16-21, 21-15, 21-13, overcoming a slow start to secure India’s first medal at this edition of the World Championships.
They had earlier defeated Japan’s seventh-seeded Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in the round of 16. Their breakthrough also comes after a period of focused preparation. Chief national coach Pullela Gopichand said their success was the result of around six weeks of targeted work, tactical changes and an emphasis on patience. He also credited their opponents in the semi-final, noting that the Chinese pair served with spin and attacked strongly on the first return, making it difficult for the Indians to take control.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s bronze is more than a medal; it is a reminder that sporting progress is often built through patience, setbacks, teamwork and the courage to challenge established champions. Their campaign also highlights the importance of giving women’s doubles the same attention and support that other disciplines receive, while allowing emerging athletes to build their own identities and legacies.
A semi-final defeat can understandably sting, but it should not overshadow what the pair has achieved: ending a 15-year wait for India in women’s doubles at the World Championships and proving they can compete with the best in the world. As Treesa herself said, “this is just the start”. With the Asian Games ahead, can this historic bronze become the foundation for an even bigger chapter in Indian badminton?
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