Indian paira Gopal and Gayatri Gopichand win historic bronze at 2026 Worlds

India's Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a historic medal at the BWF World Championships 2026, defeating China's Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in a dramatic women's doubles quarterfinal on Friday, August 21. The unseeded Indian pair won 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 in a match lasting one hour and nine minutes at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, guaranteeing themselves at least a bronze medal.

The victory marks a significant milestone, making Treesa and Gayatri only the second Indian women's doubles team to win a medal at the World Championships, following Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa's bronze in 2011. The win was a major comeback, as the Chinese pair had won all three previous encounters, including a tight 24-22, 21-18 victory at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February. The pair entered the quarterfinals having upset the seventh-seeded Japanese duo of Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in straight games during the Round of 16 on Thursday, August 20.

The match began with the Chinese pair dominating, taking the first game 21-16 after controlling the pace and capitalizing on early errors. However, Treesa and Gayatri responded strongly in the second game,...