Gayatri Gopichand, Treesa Jolly win World Championships bronze in New Delhi

Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly earned a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi after losing their three-game semifinal to world No. 1 Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning.

It is India’s first women’s doubles medal at the World Championships in 15 years. Gayatri, who moved from singles to doubles, said the result followed wins over leading pairs and a growing partnership with Treesa.

“We do believe that we can be world champions,” Gayatri said. She said the pair need more patience against top-ranked teams, who do not offer easy points, and felt they chased quick points after the opening game of the semifinal.

Gayatri said injuries made the previous year difficult for the pair. They will next target the Asian Games and, over the longer term, qualification for the 2028 Olympics.