Pullela Gopichand was visibly delighted on Saturday at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Stadium after Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly secured India’s first women’s doubles medal at the World Championships in 15 years.
Usually reserved and measured while speaking to the media, Gopichand appeared more relaxed on this occasion. He joked with reporters, stayed longer to answer questions and discussed the pair’s tactics, their future and Indian badminton more openly than usual.
The achievement was especially significant for him because, for the first time, a World Championships medal had come home through one of his own wards — his daughter Gayatri.
Asked about watching Gayatri win the medal, Gopichand initially responded as a coach, saying he had always felt the same emotions for all his players. But he later allowed himself to speak more openly about his pride.
He noted that both of his children are Arjuna Awardees, describing that as a rare achievement and saying he was proud of Gayatri’s performance, results and conduct throughout the tournament.
A decision that changed Gayatri’s career
Gayatri initially pursued singles, where she showed considerable promise as a junior. However, injuries disrupted her progress and eventually she told her father that she wanted to move to doubles.
Gopichand supported the decision.
In 2021, Gayatri and Treesa were paired together after the Covid-19 period. Treesa’s strength from the backcourt and Gayatri’s natural ability at the net provided a logical combination, although their partnership took time to develop.
Both players faced setbacks, including injuries and periods of inconsistency. Gayatri also had to deal with the expectations attached to the Gopichand surname, while Treesa, who came from a modest background in Kerala, carried her own responsibilities and ambitions.
Over time, their roles evolved. Gayatri became increasingly effective from the backcourt, while Treesa developed into a stronger presence at the net.
Their preparation for the home World Championships included around 45 days of intensive work under Gopichand and coach B Sumeeth Reddy. Treesa’s injury had previously kept the pair out of competition for nearly three months and caused their ranking to fall.
Their quarter-final victory was particularly impressive because they were facing Jia Yifan and Zhang Shu Xian, against whom they had lost all three of their previous meetings. After falling 0-6 behind in the opening game, Gayatri and Treesa fought back to win and secure the historic medal.
The emotions were immediate. Treesa ran to Gopichand and hugged him, while Gayatri first shook hands with her opponents before approaching her father and Sumeeth. Gopichand then kissed his daughter on the forehead.
“You’ve done it, Bhaiya”
After the quarter-final, Sumeeth turned to Gopichand and told him, “You’ve done it, Bhaiya.”
The comment reflected the amount of work Gopichand had put into the pair’s preparation. During the 45 days before the tournament, he sometimes put them through two or three training sessions a day, continuing to work with them even when they were exhausted.
For Gopichand, however, the medal remained a coaching achievement as much as a family one.
Gayatri and Treesa eventually settled for bronze after losing their semi-final to top seeds Tan Ning and Liu Sheng Shu on Saturday.
But the colour of the medal mattered less than what they had already accomplished. Their bronze ended India’s 15-year wait for a women’s doubles medal at the World Championships and gave Gopichand his first World Championships medal through one of his own wards — and his daughter.
