Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Propel India Forward at BWF World Championships 2026

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have propelled India into the Round of 16 at the BWF World Championships 2026 with a solid victory over their American opponents. However, the campaign ended for Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi after a defeat to the Stoeva sisters. The day also saw Unnati Hooda triumph in women's singles, while mixed doubles faced setbacks. Discover how India's badminton stars are faring in this prestigious tournament.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 18, 2026, 23:42 IST

India's Women's Doubles Success at BWF World Championships

New Delhi [India], August 18: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced India’s journey at the BWF World Championships 2026 with a convincing win against the 16th-seeded American duo, Lauren Lam and Allison Lee. Meanwhile, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi faced elimination after losing to Bulgaria's Stoeva sisters in the women's doubles Round of 32 on Tuesday.

In a strong display at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Treesa and Gayatri secured their spot in the Round of 16 by defeating Lam and Lee with scores of 21-15 and 21-12. The Indian pair, currently ranked 39th globally, maintained their composure throughout the match, preventing their opponents from gaining any momentum. After clinching the first game, they intensified their offensive strategy to dominate the second game.

Conversely, Kavipriya and Simran were unable to replicate their earlier success, falling to the Stoeva sisters with scores of 7-21 and 14-21. The Indian duo had reached the Round of 32 after a victory over Spain's Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez, but the experienced Bulgarian pair quickly took control of their match, ending Kavipriya and Simran's campaign.

The results in women's doubles followed a mixed bag for India on Day 2 of the championships. Unnati Hooda achieved a positive outcome in women's singles, defeating Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar with scores of 22-20 and 21-16 in her opening match.

Earlier, India's mixed doubles teams faced challenges, with Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh, who entered as last-minute reserves, narrowly losing a match that featured a rare Golden Point at 29-29. Despite having chances in the final game, they could not secure a win. Additionally, Ruthvika Gadde and Rohan Kapoor were eliminated after a close match against Canada's Crystal Lai and Jonathan Lai, with scores of 22-20, 19-21, and 17-21.

India had a stellar start on the opening day, with all five entries winning their respective Round of 64 matches, including Ayush Shetty's remarkable upset of defending champion Shi Yu Qi and PV Sindhu's straight-game victory over Ireland's Sophia Noble.