Treesa, Gayatri clinch bronze at BWF World Championships

India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have etched their names in history by clinching the bronze medal at the BWF Badminton World Championships. They have become only the second Indian women’s doubles pair to win a World Championship medal, following in the footsteps of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa. The Indian duo went down fighting against top seeds and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China in the semi-final at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday. Treesa and Gayatri made a spirited start by taking the opening game 21-18, before the Chinese pair rallied to win the next two games 21-13 and 21-8. 

Heartiest congratulations to Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand on scripting history at the World Badminton Championships! Ending India’s 15-year wait for a women’s doubles medal is a landmark achievement.

A proud moment for Indian badminton and a powerful inspiration for a new… pic.twitter.com/IrpBQ9KmQa

— Parvesh Sahib Singh (@p_sahibsingh) August 22, 2026

Talking to the media, Gayatri and Treesa expressed delight after clinching the bronze medal at the Championships. The Indian duo said it was not their day against the top-seeded Chinese pair, who displayed remarkable patience throughout the match. They added that receiving the Arjuna Award gave them a huge boost and inspired them throughout the tournament. Coach Pullela Gopichand has expressed delight over Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly’s historic bronze medal at the BWF Badminton World Championships.