Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly Celebrate Arjuna Award and BWF Success
Celebrating Dual Achievements
New Delhi, August 19: Indian badminton doubles stars Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly had a remarkable day on Tuesday, receiving the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025 and advancing to the Round of 16 at the BWF World Championships 2026 held in New Delhi.
The talented duo was among 17 athletes honored with this esteemed award, announced earlier in the day. Later that evening, they celebrated their achievement by securing a straight-game victory against the American pair of Lauren Lam and Allison Lee in their Round of 32 match at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Expressing her joy over the award, Gayatri remarked, “It feels incredible, and I am truly grateful. This moment is very special, and I feel immense pride and happiness.”
When asked if she had spoken to her father, the former Indian badminton champion Pullela Gopichand, Gayatri replied, “I haven’t had a chance to talk to Gopi sir yet, but my family has congratulated me, and they are thrilled.”
Treesa also shared her excitement, calling the recognition a significant moment for her family. “It means a lot; I’m overjoyed. It was my father’s dream to receive an Arjuna Award, and he called me to say, ‘You got the Arjuna Award,’ and I’m so happy it’s coming home soon,” she stated.
This honor reflects their consistent performances on the international stage. Notably, Gayatri’s achievement has a familial connection, as her father received the Arjuna Award back in 1999.
Continuing their celebration on the court, the Indian pair triumphed over Lam and Lee with scores of 21-15, 21-12 in the Round of 32.
The world No. 39 duo took charge of the match after a competitive start and maintained their aggressive strategy to comfortably finish the second game.
Commenting on their performance, Gayatri noted, “The courts were a bit tricky, similar to yesterday, but we aimed to adapt quickly and not get frustrated. Once we understood how the shuttle was moving, we played our game better. We were quite aggressive today, which worked in our favor, so I’m really happy with the win.”
This victory secured a spot for Treesa and Gayatri in the women’s doubles Round of 16 at the World Championships, which are being hosted in India for the first time since 2009.
Their success also provided a positive highlight for India’s women’s doubles campaign, especially after Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi were eliminated in the Round of 32, losing to Bulgarian sisters Stefani and Gabriela Stoeva.
The National Sports Awards celebrate sporting excellence, with the Arjuna Award recognizing sustained performance over the past four years, along with qualities such as leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline.
The athletes receiving the award include: Tejaswin Shankar (athletics), Muhammad Ajmal Variyathodi (athletics), Priyanka Goswami (athletics), Treesa Jolly (badminton), Gayatri Gopichand (badminton), Narender (boxing), Vidit Santosh Gujarathi (chess), Divya Jitendra Deshmukh (chess), Dhanush Srikanth (deaf shooting), Lalremsiami (hockey), Rajkumar Pal (hockey), Surjeet (kabaddi), Pooja (kabaddi), Rudransh Khandelwal (para-shooting), Ekta Bhyan (para-shooting), Arvind Singh (rowing), and Akhil Sheoran (shooting).