India suffer setback in badminton as Treesa injury forces withdrawal ahead of Uber Cup Finals

India’s preparations for the Uber Cup Finals have suffered a setback after women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand withdrew following an ankle injury to Treesa.

The injury occurred during a training session when Treesa accidentally stepped on her partner’s foot, causing a twist that has ruled her out just days before the team’s departure for Horsens, Denmark , where the tournament will be held from April 24 to May 3.

The Uber Cup is the world team championship for women’s badminton.

Confirming the development, India’s doubles coach B Sumeeth Reddy said the injury happened shortly before the squad’s planned participation in the Badminton Asia Championships.

Treesa is currently resting and will undergo rehabilitation, with recovery expected in around four weeks. She is likely to return for the Singapore Open at the end of May.

This is the latest setback for the pair, who had earlier withdrawn from the Swiss Open due to Treesa’s shoulder issue and also retired mid match in Basel against Chinese Taipei’s Hu Ling Fang and Jheng Yu Chieh.

Despite the repeated injuries, the coach said such issues are part of doubles badminton and expressed confidence that Treesa will make a full recovery.

In their absence, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has named Shruti Mishra and Priya Konjengbam as replacements. The pair, 2023 Senior National champions, are ranked 48th in the world and were part of India’s gold winning squad at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships .

Meanwhile, India’s men’s doubles duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will travel early to Denmark to train ahead of the Thomas Cup Finals .

India’s men’s and women’s teams are placed in Group A , facing tough competition in the prestigious team championships.