Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have already secured their place on the BWF World Championships podium, ending India’s 15-year wait for a women’s doubles medal. Yet, despite achieving a historic milestone on home soil, the Indian duo are refusing to treat the achievement as the end of their campaign.
“Right now just processing this one kind of we are into the semifinals and being on the podium but it’s not finished yet. This is not the ending. We came here with a goal,” Treesa said after the pair’s stunning quarter-final victory.
That victory came against fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian, a Chinese combination the Indians had never beaten in three previous meetings. After losing the opening game 16-21, Jolly and Gopichand produced a spirited fightback to win the second 21-15 before sealing the decider 21-13.
The result guaranteed India a women’s doubles medal at the World Championships for the first time since Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta won bronze in 2011.
HOME SUPPORT, BIGGER DREAM
For Treesa, the achievement carries added significance because this is the pair’s third World Championship appearance, and the first on home soil.
“Actually this is our 3rd world championship, and it’s happening in India and in the home soil,” Treesa said. “I think the crowd was so amazing and the crowd that gave us that confidence even we lost the first game also they were in full Josh that, ‘Come on, come on girls, you can do this’ and I think that really helped us.”
The support became particularly important during a difficult opening game. The Chinese pair established an early advantage and eventually took the first game, but the Indian duo found another level after the interval as the home crowd grew louder with every point.
Their comeback also gave them the belief that they could finally overcome a Chinese pair that had previously had their number.
The challenge was significant given Jia Yi Fan’s pedigree. The Chinese shuttler is an Olympic gold medallist, making the victory another major confidence boost for the Indian pair.
“When we started playing at this level, she was an Olympic gold medallist,” Treesa said. “When you beat someone like that, it is kind of a compliment for us and a confidence boost for both of us.”
That confidence will be vital in the semi-finals, where the Indians face another formidable challenge. But they are determined not to get carried away by the guarantee of a medal.
The historic wait is over, but Treesa and Gayatri have made it clear that they are aiming higher. Their quarter-final victory has already rewritten a chapter of Indian badminton history. Now, with the home crowd behind them and a semi-final place secured, the duo have an opportunity to turn a long-awaited medal into something even more memorable.
For Jolly and Gopichand, the podium is secured. The mission, however, is not finished.
– Ends
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