-Subhayan Chakraborty
Amid the current struggles of prominent Indian badminton singles players, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have been bringing joy to Indian fans in the doubles events. The duo has been making a name for themselves in the international badminton circuit with their remarkable performances.
Their recent outstanding performance at the 2023 All England Open Championships, a semi-final finish, is evidence of their growing influence in international badminton. Notably, Jolly and Gopichand have been competing against higher-ranked players, making their success all the more impressive.
The current coach of the Indian badminton men’s doubles, Mathias Boe lavished praise on the pair of Gayatri-Treesa as he said he’s delighted by their growing graph and stature in women’s badminton doubles.
“I am proud of the girls. Reaching the semi finals back to back in All England Open here. It is remarkable. Taking their age into consideration, only 19 and 20 year olds, the way they played here. They have really grown. Won three very difficult matches. I have been really impressed. Also, they have been great at receiving information. During games, they managed to use the information in the court. Normally, even the experienced players struggle to do so. I am extremely proud of them. It’s been a pleasure being with them and achieving this great result for them and Indian badminton,” Boe told RevSportz in an exclusive interview.
“They work really hard. Put a lot of time and focus in practice. They are very disciplined. That’s what elite sport is all about. I have felt they have been able to take that extra step in the last three, four months. I was really impressed with how they played at Asia Mixed Championship in Dubai. Going on court, they were trailing 2-1 in one match. They beat Malaysian pairs and won French Open. They have really matured. They have really progressed a lot. Gayatri has come up with more muscles, she has more power now. Treesa is more patient now. Of course we have seen her smashed and power and not many girls have that at that age. Teresa’s power and Gayatri’s reading in the front court makes them a great duo.
“They are still young. From where they have been to now, they have taken a huge step. Still, there is a step forward for medals and to even think about Olympic medals and all from these young girls. If they can qualify for Paris, that would be step one. From there we will see what the level is and whether they can do it. That’s too much pressure to put on them right now and we are taking it one tournament a time. We will take it step by step but they are on the right track,” Boe added.
A remarkable last year has opened up new opportunities for India’s top badminton doubles players, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. The duo is hoping to capitalize on their success and achieve greatness at the upcoming All England Championships, secure a spot in the Paris Olympics, and potentially become the world’s top-ranked pair.
In 2022, Satwik and Chirag made history by winning two World Tour titles – the India Open Super 500 and French Open Super 750 – securing the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, playing a vital role in India’s impressive Thomas Cup win, and earning their first bronze medal at the World Championships.
However, the big question remains. Can Satwik-Chirag bag medals in Asian Games and Paris Olympics? Boe says the duo is ready for the challenge.
“For Satwik and Chirag, we can talk about medals. The pressure is on them because they are good enough to win the Olympic and all the tournament. They know that. They try to use this pressure in a positive way. I see them as one of the best pairs in the world. When they play well, it becomes really tough for the opponents. They have the power and reading of the game. We all three want to win. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen here in All England. But we are hungry for more and the next aim is Swiss Open because right now, we are good enough to win. And they are good enough to win medals at Asian Games and Paris Olympics. We are ready for challenge and really positive about them,” Boe said.
The Danish coach further talked about India’s growing stature in badminton world as he said India as a nation can challenge the top nations around the world.
“Overall, India is becoming a greater badminton nation. But I, as a coach, is not satisfied. We need to do even better. We need to win big tournament. We are a power nation and we need to show that. It is definitely possible to challenge the current badminton great nations,” Boe concluded.
Listen in to this exclusive interview of Mathias Boe, by RevSportz correspondent in Birmingham, Abhijit Deshmukh: