New Delhi, August 21: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have ended India’s 15-year wait for a women’s doubles medal at the BWF World Championships, producing a determined comeback against China’s fourth-seeded Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in New Delhi on Friday.
The unseeded Indian pair recovered from losing the opening game to win the quarter-final 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 and reach the semi-finals. The result guarantees India at least a bronze medal in the women’s doubles event. The match lasted about 70 minutes.
The achievement is significant in the history of Indian badminton. India’s previous women’s doubles medal at the World Championships came in 2011, when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in London. Treesa and Gayatri’s victory therefore ends a long gap in an event where India has struggled to maintain a consistent presence at the highest level.
The Indian pair faced a difficult start against the Chinese fourth seeds. Jia and Zhang took the first game 21-16, putting the home team under early pressure. Instead of allowing the match to slip away, Treesa and Gayatri changed the momentum in the second game and levelled the contest at 21-15.
The deciding game was more controlled from the Indian side. They maintained their intensity and eventually closed it out 21-13, completing one of the biggest wins of their campaign.
The victory also carries added significance because Treesa has been working her way back after an injury. The pair entered the tournament unseeded but have now defeated two seeded opponents on their way to the last four. On Thursday, they had beaten Japan’s seventh-seeded Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in straight games to reach the quarter-finals.
Playing at home has also given the pair strong support. After the quarter-final, Treesa and Gayatri credited the atmosphere inside the stadium for helping them remain composed during the comeback. They also acknowledged advice from former All England champion and coach Pullela Gopichand.
The medal is already assured, but the campaign is not over. Treesa and Gayatri will now turn their attention to the semi-finals, where they will have an opportunity to move one step closer to a World Championship title.
For Indian badminton, however, Friday’s result has already marked an important moment: a women’s doubles pair has returned the country to the World Championship medal podium after 15 years.
