Image Credits: BAI
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand came into the Indira Gandhi Stadium this week carrying the weight of a long break, injuries and the usual expectations that come with being one of India’s leading women’s doubles pairs. They finished by having a successful campaign and finished with a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships. They had beaten three seeded pairs consecutively and produced high-quality badminton against top Chinese opposition, and created one of the most emotional moments of their careers. In an interview with the Badminton Association of India’s YouTube channel, the pair reflected on the tournament that ended with a medal at home.
Gayatri said she entered the quarter-final with no specific expectations after the pair’s recent ups and downs. The match was closely fought. They trailed in the second set before changing their approach, making changes and winning the game. “I just wanted to go there and give my 100 percent. Once we won the second set, I think we were super confident. We just looked at each other and we were like, I think we can do it.”
When the match ended and the medal was secure, the emotion poured out. “It was like a pinch-me moment, like is this really happening? So, I just started crying,” Gayatri said. “Till the last point, it’s not over. Once it was done, we were like, we made it.”
Treesa described the feeling as almost a dream. “Getting a world championship medal, that’s almost a dream for us as partners. And that’s happening at home, so that is much more special for us. It’s a goosebumps moment.” She said that Gopichand kept them calm even at match point, “We were just calm and just waiting for the right moment to just express our happiness.”
Treesa and Gayatri credit their father for helping them reach the podium
Gayatri spoke about the pressure of carrying the Gopichand name. “Sometimes on court, I do feel that pressure. There are a lot of people who tell me you are Gopi sir’s daughter. You need to prove yourself,” she told. The shuttler added that she has learned to manage it better over the years. On court there is little time to dwell on it while off court her father simply tells her to enjoy the game. “I think the pressure is more for the people outside. But for me, I don’t feel that as much,” Gayatri stated.
Speaking to BAI youtube channel Treesa said that her father Jolly Mathew, a volleyball coach, converted it into a badminton court in their backyard in Kannur. Financial struggles were real but he protected her from them. She also said that she is here only because of her father. She said that the early days were not easy and badminton was an expensive sport and the family faced financial struggles. Yet Treesa says her father never let her feel that pressure. “That confidence gives you something else, when your parents are telling you that you have the talent to play at that level,” she recalled. “I am here because of my parents. My father is the star.”
The pair also credited the training adjustments made after Treesa’s injury with more frequent front-and-back rotations, greater emphasis on calm net play, and simple but repetitive drills of block, net, drive and smash for giving them the tactical edge that confused opponents this week. Gayatri covered extra ground in training so she would be ready when Treesa returned.
