Archive · 30 Aug 2026
How India Is Building a New Badminton Doubles Culture
India is trying to become much better at badminton doubles.
At a training academy in Hyderabad, players practice quick exchanges and strong defensive movements.
They use coloured cones, different-coloured shuttles, tennis balls and flashing lights to improve their reactions.
Doubles requires players to serve, defend and attack differently than singles players do.
Coaches are teaching players how to notice which opponent is less confident and target them.
Indian players have recently won important medals in doubles at the World Championships.
These successes have encouraged more attention on doubles in India.
The goal is to create an Indian style that is both fast and clever.
Hyderabad’s Pullela Gopichand badminton academy is developing specialized drills for doubles speed, reflexes and decision-making.
Korean defensive training, colour-coded shuttle drills, tennis balls and digital reaction lights are used to sharpen players’ responses.
India’s recent doubles success includes World Championships medals for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and for Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
Coaches are emphasizing doubles-specific skills such as varied serves, serve-receive, flat drives, net play and attack-defence transitions.
Players and coaches say India is developing its own doubles style by combining East Asian speed with Indian hand skills and tactical awareness.
- Who
- Indian badminton doubles players, coaches at the Pullela Gopichand badminton academy, and pairs including Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
- What
- India is developing a specialized doubles training culture and an emerging Indian doubles style.
- When
- The changes have developed in recent years; the article also discusses the latest World Championships in Delhi.
- Where
- Primarily at the Pullela Gopichand badminton academy in Hyderabad, India.
- Why
- Recent doubles success and World Championships medals have placed greater emphasis on the skills, training methods and partnerships required for doubles.
- Training base
- Pullela Gopichand badminton academy in Hyderabad
- Key drill
- ‘Korean defence,’ a fast-paced defensive and rally-extension exercise
- Recent women’s doubles result
- Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won bronze at the World Championships in Delhi
- Recent opponents defeated
- Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defeated the World No. 7 and World No. 4 pairings on their way to bronze
- Indian medal trend
- Five of India’s last six World Championships medals came from the Hyderabad training base, including three in doubles
- Specialized tools
- Colour cones, colour-coded shuttles, tennis balls, BlazePods digital reaction lights and the One Brain app
- Core doubles skills
- Serve-and-receive, varied serves, flat drives, net play, attack-defence transitions and opponent targeting