BWF World Championships: Pullela Gopichand Reflects on India’s Campaign, Treesa-Gayatri’s Bronze and Asian Games Plans

India's campaign at the BWF World Championships 2026 ended with one medal, but national head coach Pullela Gopichand believes the tournament provided both lessons and positives as the team shifts its focus towards the Asian Games.

The medal came from Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who produced a memorable run in the women's doubles draw to secure bronze. The unseeded Indian pair defeated higher-ranked opposition before going down fighting against the world No. 1 Chinese combination in the semifinals.

Treesa and Gayatri started brilliantly against the Chinese pair, winning the opening game, but could not maintain the momentum as their opponents fought back to win the next two games.

India's badminton legend Pullela Gopichand felt the Indian pair remained firmly in the contest until the middle of the second game before the match slipped away.

"I think till the second game mid-part, they were quite there in the match, and suddenly, they didn't contact the shuttle as much as I would have really liked. And then, they just lost it," Gopichand said while interacting with the media.

The Indian coach, however, was quick to give credit to the Chinese pair for changing the dynamics of the contest.

"But also credit to the Chinese girls because they were serving very well, because there was a good amount of spin and tumble on the serve. And then on the first return, they were hitting very hard on the parallels."

"So I think Gayatri and Treesa's chance of getting on the attack from the very beginning was not happening. But overall, happy with the way they played."

Gopichand: India were 'decent' despite close defeats

While Treesa and Gayatri's bronze was the highlight of the campaign, several Indian players suffered narrow defeats, leaving Gopichand with mixed feelings about the overall performance.

"Overall, it was a bit unfortunate that we lost some very close matches. I think in Women's Singles, Sindhu's match was quite close," he said.

He also pointed to the contrasting fortunes of Ayush Shetty, who produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by beating world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi, but could not carry that momentum deep into the competition.

"And in Men's Singles as well, Ayush's day was very good, but the second day was a little bit of a disappointment, and the third day was a little bit... But overall, I think we were decent in that sense."

Gopichand was not overly concerned by India's overall showing, stressing that difficult days are part of elite sport.

"I wouldn't be too worried about it. Some days these things do happen. But next time around, I'm hoping for a better performance, at the Asian Games I'm hoping for a better performance."

Six weeks of work paid off for Treesa and Gayatri

The women's doubles bronze was particularly encouraging given the pair's preparation.

Gopichand pointed to the work done in the six weeks leading into the World Championships as one of the reasons for their breakthrough.

"They naturally have a good game, decent serves, strong smashes from Treesa, and Gayatri is very solid at the net."

He also highlighted the demands of playing inside the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, where conditions required the pair to remain patient during long rallies.

"The hall is big, leading to longer rallies where you have to earn every point rather than rush. Patience means being quick without being in a hurry, sticking to your strategy and building the point step by step."

The coach felt the pair's ability to execute those aspects was one of the biggest reasons behind their medal-winning run.

"The work done over the last six weeks really paid off on court. The most striking aspects were Treesa charging at the net to take control and Gayatri's strong backcourt play along with the rhythm on her serve."

"Crucially, they pulled through at key moments."

India need to improve against spin and tumble serves

Gopichand believes Indian doubles players need to continue working on their ability to handle variations in the serve.

Asked whether players need to work more on both handling and utilising spin and tumble serves, he was unequivocal.

"Yes, on both ends."

He pointed out that Gayatri herself has developed into a highly effective server.

"Gayatri has had phenomenal service patches herself."

The serve and return phase, according to Gopichand, can determine how a doubles rally develops.

"The serve-and-return phase dictates the rally, especially in doubles, making it a crucial area where a few players globally are excelling and Indian players are actively improving."

'Hopefully, Mixed Doubles will be the next one'

India has now won World Championships medals in men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles. It was the 12th consecutive edition at the World Championships when India returned with a medal.

Mixed doubles remains the only discipline in which India is yet to win a medal at the event.

Gopichand believes that could change in the future.

"We are ticking one box at a time. When Saina reached the quarterfinals in 2008, people asked about Men's Doubles. Hopefully, Mixed Doubles will be the next one to deliver."

Gopichand on coaching his daughter Gayatri

The World Championships bronze also carried a deeply personal dimension for Gopichand, with Gayatri being his daughter as well as one of the players under his coaching guidance.

Asked whether watching his daughter perform on the biggest stage brought additional emotion, Gopichand insisted that he tries to maintain the same approach with every player he coaches.

"Whenever my players are on court, I feel the same way. There is no extra emotion for Gayatri compared to any other player under my guidance."

The medal also came soon after Gayatri received the Arjuna Award, another milestone in her career.

"I am very proud of her performances, her conduct on and off the court, and the recognition she received. I am deeply grateful for it," he said.

India turn attention to the Asian Games

The World Championships are now behind the Indian team, with the Asian Games becoming the next major target.

Gopichand revealed that India's leading players are increasingly working with dedicated support teams as they prepare for the demanding period ahead.

"Each player now has a dedicated support team behind them, whether it's Lakshya, Ayush, Sindhu, or the others."

He stressed that India's top players are now operating as complete professionals, with individual competition schedules being planned around the larger objectives.

"They operate as complete professionals, with some playing tournaments like the China Open before regrouping."

For Gopichand, the strength of the Indian setup is not limited to individual players.

"The team spirit and camaraderie across the squad are strong, similar to what we saw during the Thomas Cup."

Sindhu playing well, Lakshya had an 'off tournament'

Gopichand also assessed the campaigns of two of India's biggest singles stars, PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen.

Sindhu suffered a tight defeat, while Lakshya failed to make the deep run expected of him.

"Sindhu's loss was very tight and unfortunate, but building on her recent form, she is playing well."

Gopichand was more forgiving about Lakshya's early exit, pointing to the consistency the Indian men's singles player has shown over a longer period.

"Lakshya had an off tournament, which happens, but he has been remarkably consistent over time."

For Gopichand, the World Championships offered a realistic snapshot of where Indian badminton stands: there were disappointing close defeats, but also a historic women's doubles medal and Ayush Shetty's breakthrough win over the world No. 1.

The next challenge is to turn those individual moments into a stronger collective performance at the Asian Games.