Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand assure India of World Badminton Championships medal

NEW DELHI: Kerala's Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand stormed into the women's doubles semifinals of the BWF World Championships, assuring India of a medal after a stunning comeback victory over China's fourth-seeded pair Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the quarterfinals.

After losing the opening game 16-21, the Indian pair fought back to win 21-15, 21-13 and seal their place in the semifinals. They are assured of at least a bronze medal even if they lose their semifinal against China's top-seeded Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning.

This will be India's first women's doubles medal at the World Championships since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in 2011. The victory ended a 15-year wait for an Indian pair to reach the podium in the event.

Treesa, who hails from Kannur and is an Arjuna Award winner this year, also became the first Malayali to secure a medal at the World Championships since H.S. Prannoy in 2023. Gayatri is the daughter of former India coach Pullela Gopichand.