Treesa–Gayatri smash into medal row
Unseeded Indian pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand beat China’s Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian 16–21, 21–15, 21–13 in New Delhi to reach the World Championships semifinals and lock in at least bronze — India’s first women’s doubles Worlds medal since 2011, per PTI via NDTV.
The unseeded Indian pair reached the World Championships semifinals and secured at least a bronze medal.
Treesa Jolly and Hyderabad’s own Gayatri Gopichand Pullela are into the World Championships semifinals in New Delhi, turning a lost first game into a 16–21, 21–15, 21–13 win over China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian. The unseeded Indian pair’s quarterfinal on Friday secured a place on the podium — at least bronze is guaranteed at the BWF Worlds once you’re in the last four, and PTI’s report (carried by NDTV) notes it is India’s first women’s doubles Worlds medal since Jwala Gutta–Ashwini Ponnappa’s 2011 bronze.
This comes a day after they knocked out Japan’s seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21–16, 21–12 to make the last eight, as the government broadcaster reported. The BWF’s 2025 tournament note lists the pair in the field historically; an official 2026 match-centre entry for this quarterfinal wasn’t located in time for this report.
For Telangana, this is the sport that built Hyderabad’s reputation doing what it does best on home soil. The BJP’s culture wars won’t build a doubles defense, and the Congress’s Delhi spin doesn’t turn 19–19 points. A Hyderabad coach’s daughter just dragged India back onto a women’s doubles Worlds podium; the national parties can get back to arguing about credit after they learn how to return serve.