All posts tagged: Gopichand

Lakshya Sen can beat anybody in the world on his day: Pullela Gopichand

Lakshya Sen can beat anybody in the world on his day: Pullela Gopichand

Published by Webster

The draws for the 2026 BWF World Championships, which will be held in New Delhi from August 17 to 23, took place on Wednesday. After the draw, Pullela Gopichand shared his thoughts on India’s chances at the tournament. He spoke about Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty and the return of the World Championships to India after 17 years. Lakshya Sen, who won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships, will once again be one of India’s biggest hopes. Gopichand believes the Indian shuttler is now a more mature and experienced player, but admitted that the competition will not be easy. “Lakshya has had some good tournaments. He has won some big tournaments, but he has also missed out on a few big ones. Today, I would say Lakshya is much more mature. He has more experience on his side and has been able to win some big tournaments, but it will be tough,” he said. Despite that, Gopichand believes Lakshya has the ability to beat the world’s best players on his day. “Having said that, …

PV Sindhu ‘definitely a threat’ for World Championships, LA 2028: Gopichand

PV Sindhu ‘definitely a threat’ for World Championships, LA 2028: Gopichand

Published by Webster

3 min readJul 18, 2026 09:58 PM IST PV Sindhu‘s heartening recent performance makes her a genuine medal contender for the World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as per India’s chief badminton coach Pullela Gopichand. Double Olympic medallist Sindhu reached the Japan Open Super 750 final on Saturday after her opponent Chen Yu Fei retired in the second game. This was the second big win for Sindhu in the tournament after she took down fifth-seed Han Yue before. “Sindhu is definitely a threat for the World Championships. 2028 LA Olympics is a little far but many of the shuttlers can’t read her game style,” Gopichand told the media on the sidelines of the mascot launch of the World Championships. The 31-year-old Sindhu was leading 21-19, 15-10 when world No. 4 Chen was forced to pull out with a hamstring injury. It was a brilliant performance from the 10th-ranked Indian, who dominated the Chinese. She broke a five-match losing streak against Yu Fei, dating back to 2019 when she last beat her 21-7, 21-14 …

most dig Argentina; Portugal, England, Spain have backers too

most dig Argentina; Portugal, England, Spain have backers too

Published by Webster

Ayush Shetty names Argentina as his favourite FIFA World Cup team, but the youngster is hedging heavily on dark horses, Spain. At her home, PV Sindhu has a Portugal vs Germany rivalry going with her sports-loving husband Venkata Datta Sai, ahead of the World Cup in Mexico, USA and Canada. HS Prannoy’s favourite World Cup memory would be watching football when he was young: “Watching The Brazilian Ronaldo do his magic inside the box.” Former All England champ Pullela Gopichand digs Argentina and Messi magic too, and watched the 2006 World Cup LIVE in Germany, as a nation shrugged off its past, opening up to the world. Game recognises game, goes the saying when athletes identify with exceptional moments in sport – even another sport. But the FIFA World Cup can leave the biggest athletes in their own sport, dealing in superlatives, like crazed happy fans whose moods are regulated for one month in four years by a different sport than their own. Prannoy grew up watching videotapes of Taufiq Hidayat and his backhand that …

Gopichand on doubles talent Hariharan

Gopichand on doubles talent Hariharan

Published by Webster

India’s Malaysian doubles coach Tan Kim Her has a talent for Kintsugi – the age-old Japanese art of patching precious things back, with powdered gold. After Satwik-Chirag, he is now beginning to make things click for India’s second best doubles pairing of MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan. Having paired them together with yet another inspiring call at the Hyderabad Gopichand academy, Tan is now in charge of yet another potentially massive talent in Hariharan. “Hari is very explosive and strong from the back court, and combines well with Arjun’s experience,” national head coach Pullela Gopichand says. “Not only does he have the power and gamesense, he has the quality to back it up on court. He has a lot of energy from the back of the court and is fearless,” he adds. Are we looking at the next big thing in doubles? “He is world-class,” Gopichand simply states. Reaching their first ever quarterfinals of the Super 1000 Indonesia Open, Arjun-Hari scored a gutsy 16-21, 21-15, 21-19 win over Malaysian World No 23 Aaron Tai and …

Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand pull out with injury

Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand pull out with injury

Published by Webster

The Indian women’s badminton team were hit with a heavy blow as the doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand pulled out of the upcoming 2026 Uber Cup just days before the start of the tournament on Friday. Shruti Mishra and Priya Konjembam will replace the two-time All England Open finallists in the team. Treesa and Gayatri’s withdrawal comes after the former failed to recover from an injury. They were last seen in action during the Swiss Open Super 300, where they retired midway from the opening round match as Treesa picked up an injury. “Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will not partake in the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2026 due to the former’s injury,” the Badminton Association of India said in a statement. “Shruti Mishra and Priya Konjengbam have replaced the pair in the Indian women’s team,” they added. Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will lead the Indian team as they look to win their first Uber Cup medal in 10 years. India have won two bronze medals in the prestigious competition, …

Gopichand33 Titled BharataVarsha: Macho star set to dominate the screen with gritty action in grand period drama

Gopichand33 Titled BharataVarsha: Macho star set to dominate the screen with gritty action in grand period drama

Published by Parlour News

Gopichand has officially announced his 33rd movie, titled BharataVarsha – Saga of Shula. Directed by Sankalp, the film is touted to be a powerful and ferocious saga rooted in a glorious ancient era. Gopichand33 is officially titled BharataVarsha The makers had recently shared the official glimpse on social media. Previously titled Gopichand33, the upcoming movie is touted to be a period action drama with a gritty premise. The film is said to embark on a journey to bring forth a crucial and forgotten chapter from Indian history, blending scale, intensity, and emotion into a grand cinematic experience. Sharing the update, the team wrote, “An age of glory… A land of legends… A story buried in time… Now… it rises.” Here’s the glimpse: ALSO READ: 9 South Films Releasing in Theaters This Week: Pallichattambi, Bengaluru Inn to Bad Boy Karthik, Oru Durooha Saahacharyathil Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the …

Sindhu, Srikanth, and the All England question: Gopichand on its relevance and India’s hopes | Badminton News

Sindhu, Srikanth, and the All England question: Gopichand on its relevance and India’s hopes | Badminton News

Published by Webster

Pullela Gopichand doesn’t reckon PV Sindhu or Kidambi Srikanth’s legacies will be incomplete if they never win the All England. The tournament, though, needs a shake-up to remain a must-win on every illustrious badminton CV. However, having won it himself, the last Indian to do so, he can’t stop wondering if another might come along and get the thing done, at the upcoming edition in a fortnight, from March 3-8. “Sindhu still can win, she has it in her…and I think someone like Ayush Shetty has a very good chance to turn up out of the blue and win it,” he says, 25 years after his own defining triumph, while upbeat about fellow Indians. The emotion of his win has crystallised into a clear perspective. “What’s so special about All England?” some current players ask. “Since I won it, I’ll say it’s a big deal!” Gopichand laughs but understands why it might not hold the same reverence today. It’s the closest that badminton has to a storied chronicle, a tapestry that goes back considerable years. …

Treesa Jolly – Gayatri Gopichand lose to Chinese pair in India Open 2026’s longest match: ‘Sometimes it just doesn’t work’ | Badminton News

Treesa Jolly – Gayatri Gopichand lose to Chinese pair in India Open 2026’s longest match: ‘Sometimes it just doesn’t work’ | Badminton News

Published by Webster

Indian women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand were involved in the longest match of the ongoing India Open Super 750 tournament on Thursday. The round of 16 clash between the Indian pair and world number eight Chinese duo of Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min lasted 84 minutes, with all three games going beyond the usual 21-point mark. After the gruelling 84 minutes, the Chinese pair came out on top, winning 20-22, 24-22, 23-21, leaving the Indian fans and shuttlers frustrated alike. The Indian pair did everything right from the start of the match but failed to close it in the last moments, a pattern that has been persistent with their results. “I think it was a good game overall. We have played and defeated them before. We were leading 19-15 in the second game, but sometimes it just doesn’t work,” a disappointed Gayatri said after the loss. Gayatri was impeccable on the net while Treesa flexed her muscles with powerful smashes in the first game. However, the Chinese pair troubled the …

HS Prannoy on finding motivation to keep going: ‘Coach Gopichand always says to stay long in the game’ | Badminton News

HS Prannoy on finding motivation to keep going: ‘Coach Gopichand always says to stay long in the game’ | Badminton News

Published by Webster

‘Stay Long’ is the mantra badminton players follow while grinding out a three-game thriller, and veteran Indian shuttler HS Prannoy is using that to navigate through a tough phase of his career. The 2023 World Championships medallist had a tough 2025 season, struggling with injuries and loss of form. However, during the tough times, the words of his long-time guru Pullela Gopichand have stayed with him. “He always says to stay long in the game. I have asked him if I should I just wrap it up? He always believes that things might be a little topsy-turvy at times in your career, but it’s important to stay in the fight because good things happen only when you are staying there,” Prannoy said after winning his first-round game at the India Open Super 750 on Wednesday. A last-minute entry to the tournament due to withdrawals, Prannoy defeated last edition’s runner-up Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in straight games 22-20, 21-18. Going through a phase of self-doubt after his 2025 season, Prannoy said that he found …

Why Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand have to get hyper agressive that blends offense and defense | Badminton News

Why Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand have to get hyper agressive that blends offense and defense | Badminton News

Published by Webster

Not that aggression is easy to learn – to switch on, and switch off. But before Rio Olympics, PV Sindhu, a very mild-mannered Hyderabadi, was taught to yell, and crank it up against the likes of Tai Tzu-ying, Yihan Wang and to go toe to toe with Carolina Marin in the finals. Down the years, as Sindhu found her voice, it came in handy to beat the likes of Akane Yamaguchi, He Bingjiao and famously Chen Yufei and Nozomi Okuhara, for the 2019 World title. An Se-young remains unconquered. Almost a decade since, coach Pullela Gopichand has two other shuttlers who have been imparted lessons in deconstructed aggression. Hell-raising screams and pumped fists are a very tiny part of it. The aggression that Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand need to imbibe is considerably tougher to pull off, given defences of opponents in women’s doubles – the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese ofcourse, are stronger, more durable and resilient than what a bazooka smash from Sindhu could achieve with an aggressive kill. So they need, front-court initiative, last-second feints, …