New Delhi, August 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s historic run at the BWF World Championships has already secured India a women’s doubles medal, but coach Sumeeth Reddy believes the pair are determined to go beyond the achievement and challenge for the title.
The Indian duo entered the World Championships semifinals after producing a stunning comeback against fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian of China in the quarterfinals at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Friday. After losing the opening game 16-21, Treesa and Gayatri fought back to win the next two 21-15, 21-13.
Their victory assured India its first women’s doubles World Championships medal since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in 2011.
Reddy said preparations for the home World Championships had begun around 45-50 days before the tournament, with chief coach Pullela Gopichand carefully planning the campaign.
“It started around 45-50 days before. Obviously, this was a big stage, especially happening in India, and from the first day, rather than just thinking about the World Championship, it was one day at a time,” Reddy said.
He credited Gopichand for the detailed planning and said the approach had also been a learning experience for him as a coach.
The Indian pair struggled initially as China took control of the opening game, but Reddy felt a small lead could help Treesa and Gayatri overcome the pressure.
“We were waiting from the first game that if our girls can get a couple of points lead, they would just free up and play their best game,” he said, pointing to the second game when the Indians turned a 7-10 deficit into an 11-10 lead and then moved ahead 13-10.
Reddy said the pair’s emotional reaction after the win reflected the effort that had gone into reaching this stage.
“They wanted to make a point to prove that they are not just here to participate but go further and try to win the tournament,” he said.
The coach does not plan to make major changes ahead of the semifinal, saying the pair would stick to the preparation and processes that had brought them this far.
Reddy also backed the players to remain focused despite criticism surrounding their partnership, stressing that they should concentrate on communicating with each other and correcting their own shortcomings.
He highlighted their patience and resilience while dealing with injuries and difficult phases of their careers, saying they continued working even when unable to compete.
“I think one of the things is they were patient enough to digest all those tough days,” Reddy said.
While acknowledging that securing a medal could ease some pressure, he insisted the campaign was far from over.
“They are assured of something, but it’s not done yet. They will go with full force tomorrow as well,” he said.
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