Treesa-Gayatri win BWF World Championships bronze, Dhawan leads praise
Synopsis
Ranked 39 in the world and unseeded, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand toppled three seeded pairs to reach the BWF World Championships semi-finals — and in doing so, ended a 14-year medal drought for Indian women's doubles. It is the kind of underdog run that keeps India's unbroken World Championships medal streak alive, and signals a genuine generational shift in Indian badminton.
Key Takeaways
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won bronze at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi on 23 August .
They are the first Indian women's doubles pair to win a World Championships medal since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa in 2011 .
The unseeded pair, ranked 39th in the world , defeated three seeded pairs before losing the semi-final to top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China, 21-18, 13-21, 8-21 .
India's streak of winning at least one World Championships medal every edition since 2011 — now 15 years — remains intact.
Former cricketer Shikhar Dhawan praised the duo on X, calling their campaign 'what a journey!' Treesa and Gayatri are next set to compete at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan .
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand claimed a historic bronze medal at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi on 23 August, becoming the first Indian women's doubles pair to win a World Championships medal in 14 years. Their achievement drew widespread acclaim, including a public tribute from former India cricket opener Shikhar Dhawan.
The Semi-Final That Sealed the Bronze
The unseeded Indian pair, ranked 39th in the world, bowed out of the semi-finals after a hard-fought 21-18, 13-21, 8-21 defeat to top seeds and reigning world champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China. The contest, played at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, lasted 1 hour and 11 minutes. A semi-final loss at the World Championships automatically earns the losing pair a bronze medal.
The Road to the Podium
Treesa and Gayatri's run was nothing short of remarkable. As an unseeded pair, they toppled three seeded opponents en route to the last four, including a gritty come-from-behind victory over fourth-seeded Chinese pair Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the quarter-finals. Gayatri is the daughter of legendary Indian shuttler and national chief coach Pullela Gopichand. The pair had previously won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
A 14-Year Wait Ends for Indian Women's Doubles
The medal is the first for an Indian women's doubles pair at the World Championships since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa claimed bronze in London in 2011 — ending a 28-year medal drought at the time, following Prakash Padukone's historic bronze in 1983. The triumph also keeps alive India's unbroken streak of winning at least one World Championships medal at every edition since 2011 — a run now spanning 15 years. Over that period, two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu has been the standout, amassing five medals, including the landmark 2019 gold.
Dhawan's Tribute on X
Dhawan took to social media platform X to celebrate the duo's achievement. 'From being unseeded to beating three seeded pairs and making the World Championships semifinals… what a journey! Take a bow, Treesa & Gayatri!' he wrote on Sunday. The post reflected a broader wave of appreciation for the pair's underdog campaign.
What Comes Next
Treesa and Gayatri are set to feature in the 2026 Asian Games, to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, beginning next month. Their World Championships performance will likely raise expectations heading into the continental showpiece, where India will look to the pair to challenge Asia's best.
Point of View
Overshadowed by Sindhu's individual dominance. That an unseeded, world-ranked 39th pair can dismantle three seeded opponents at a World Championships suggests the depth pipeline is finally broadening. The real question is whether the national programme can now build a consistent women's doubles tier around them, or whether this remains a one-off peak ahead of the Asian Games.
NationPress
23 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand achieve at the BWF World Championships?
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, becoming the first Indian women's doubles pair to win a World Championships medal since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa in 2011. The unseeded pair reached the semi-finals by defeating three seeded opponents.
Who did Treesa and Gayatri lose to in the semi-finals?
They lost to top seeds and reigning world champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China, going down 21-18, 13-21, 8-21 in a match lasting 1 hour and 11 minutes at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Why is this bronze medal historically significant for India?
It is the first World Championships medal for an Indian women's doubles pair in 14 years. It also extends India's unbroken streak of winning at least one medal at every BWF World Championships since 2011 — a run now spanning 15 years.
Who is Gayatri Gopichand?
Gayatri Gopichand is the daughter of legendary Indian shuttler and national chief coach Pullela Gopichand. She and Treesa Jolly previously won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
What did Shikhar Dhawan say about Treesa and Gayatri?
Former India cricket opener Shikhar Dhawan posted on X: 'From being unseeded to beating three seeded pairs and making the World Championships semifinals… what a journey! Take a bow, Treesa & Gayatri!'
