3 days ago
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Make World Championship History
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are badminton players from India.
They won a bronze medal in women’s doubles at the 2026 World Championships.
India had not won a women’s doubles medal there for 15 years.
The pair was unseeded and had been ranked 39th in the world.
Treesa had also returned from an ankle injury.
They began playing together after coaches paired them at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in 2021.
Treesa’s father first helped her practice by building a badminton court at their home in Kerala.
Their next major dream is to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won bronze at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi.
Their medal was India’s only medal at the championships and its first women’s doubles medal in 15 years.
The unseeded pair entered ranked World No. 39 after Treesa’s injury layoff and rose to World No. 27.
Treesa became the first Malayali woman to win a medal in the event.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy felicitated the pair and coach Pullela Gopichand in Hyderabad.
- Who
- Indian badminton players Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, coached by Pullela Gopichand.
- What
- They won a bronze medal in women’s doubles at the BWF World Championships.
- Where
- The championships were held in New Delhi, and the pair trains at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
- When
- At the 2026 BWF World Championships; the article also says Treesa’s Arjuna Award was announced on August 18, 2026.
- Why
- They won the medal after a comeback that followed Treesa’s injury layoff, fulfilling their goal of winning a World Championships medal.
Key facts
- Event
- BWF World Championships 2026
- Location
- New Delhi, India
- Result
- Bronze in women’s doubles
- India’s record
- India’s only medal at the championships and first women’s doubles medal in 15 years
- Ranking movement
- The pair rose 12 places, from World No. 39 to World No. 27
- Partnership
- Treesa and Gayatri were paired at the academy in 2021
- Next goal
- The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
- Recognition
- Treesa received the Arjuna Award 2025
Quotes
Treesa Jolly
Indian badminton player and women’s doubles World Championships medallist
“If I look back, she has been so much more than just my partner on court. She is my support system, my strength. When injuries kept me away, when self-doubt crept in, every single time she was there. She never let me feel alone. She is like a pillar for me”
deccanchronicle.com
“It was always a dream for me and Gayatri to win a medal at Worlds. When it turned into reality, we couldn’t hold back our tears. Pure happiness. To finally live the reality we imagined for so long was incredibly special”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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