Overcoming odds, shuttler Treesa Jolly aims to be best in her sport

Treesa Jolly has found herself in the limelight in recent weeks after an impressive run at the All England Open Badminton Championships. The youngster’s rise has been meteoric since she joined the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, but Treesa says she is only getting started. “My game has improved over the last year or so.

But since the time I started playing badminton under my father’s coaching, we have dreamt of being the best in the sport. That remains the goal. And making it to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will be a big step towards reaching that target,” said the 18-year-old Kerala shuttler.

Since her move to Hyderabad in 2020, Treesa has partnered Gayathri Gopichand, daughter of former All England champion Pullela, with whom she overcame the odds and far more experienced opponents to reach the semifinals in Birmingham. “Training under Gopi sir has helped a lot. He is pleased with our development and was happy with our results at the All England,” said Treesa.

Badminton did not come naturally for Treesa who hails from a small village called Pulingome near the Kerala-Karnataka border in Kannur district. The racket sport wasn’t popular on the hilly terrains and there was not one badminton court in sight. But it was her father Jolly Mathew Thaickal, who piqued her interest for badminton in Treesa and her elder sister Maria.