India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships 2026 after a fighting three-game defeat to world No. 1 Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in the women’s doubles semifinals in New Delhi on Saturday.
The 39th-ranked Indian duo lost 21-18, 13-21, 8-21 but produced a memorable campaign, defeating three seeded pairs on their way to the last four.
Treesa and Gayatri made an impressive start against the top-seeded Chinese pair, racing to an early lead before Liu and Tan fought back. The Indians responded strongly and used their solid defence to take the opening game 21-18.
The second game remained closely contested until the Chinese pair gained momentum after a marathon 49-shot rally at 12-12. Liu and Tan then pulled away to level the match.
In the decider, the experienced Chinese combination took control with sharp net play and powerful jump smashes. A 56-shot rally at 2-2 further highlighted the intensity of the contest before Liu and Tan established a decisive lead.
Despite the defeat, Treesa and Gayatri’s bronze marks India’s first women’s doubles World Championships medal since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa’s bronze in 2011.
Reflecting on their campaign, Treesa said the pair had an “amazing” week filled with major upsets and valuable lessons.
The medal also caps a remarkable turnaround for the Indian duo, who had played relatively few tournaments earlier in the year.
