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Former Indian badminton player Pullela Gopichand expressed pride in her Daughter's performance, Gayatri Gopichand and also praised Gayatri's partner, Treesa Jolly, after the duo secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships 2026.
Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Gopichand said the Indian pair showed great determination in a challenging environment and produced some memorable matches during their World Championships campaign. "I'm very happy with the girls' performances. I think they've fought really hard. It's a tough hall to play. It's a very physical kind of hall. You have to really dig in the resources, and they've really pulled out some very good matches. Very happy with the way they conducted themselves and played this week," Gopichand said. Gayatri and Treesa defeated several seeded pairs during their run before securing India's first women's doubles medal at the World Championships since 2011. Reflecting on the significance of the World Championships medal and awards like the Arjuna Award, Gopichand said such achievements hold importance when careers are remembered over the years. For those unversed, Gayatri was named a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna Award, alongside her women's doubles partner Treesa. "I think these are very important things, because some careers go away and then when you remember them years later, I think the awards do matter. And medals like these matter as well," he said. Gopichand added that hosting a major tournament like the World Championships in India and winning a medal on home soil creates a lasting impact beyond the players themselves. "To host a tournament in our country as big as the World Championships and to win a medal there, I think not only is great for Gayatri and Treesa, and for us in the family or the badminton fraternity, but for the thousands of people who have come here to watch, I think it inspires a lot of them," he added. The former shuttler also praised the efforts of the Sports Authority of India, the Government of India and the Badminton Association of India (BAI) for successfully organising the prestigious event. "Hats off to the Sports Authority of India, the Government of India, and the Badminton Association of India for pulling this off. There are challenges; the stadium was a challenge initially, but I think they really worked hard to ensure that things moved in a very short time," Gopichand said. He further appreciated the organisers, saying achievements often receive less recognition compared to shortcomings. "When things go wrong, we make it a point to point out, but when things are done well, we don't appreciate them. I think it's time we congratulate the government and the BAI for pulling off this fantastic event," he added. (ANI)
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