The story of Treesa Jolly, one of the six shortlisted nominees for the Manorama Sports Star Award 2022, is one of grit, determination and hard work.
Treesa, who created history in the company of Gayatri Gopichand by entering the All England semifinals last year, packs power into her smashes and displays tactical clarity to go with a cool temperament.
Hailing from Cherupuzha, a hilly village on the eastern side of Kannur district, Treesa has been riding on her 'power game' to be a mainstay of Indian badminton. She attended her first major competition at the age of 7; the U-10 state championship representing Kannur. Treesa was just 18 when she won two medals (silver in mixed team event and bronze in doubles) at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Months before that stupendous feat, Treesa and Gayatri had found themselves in the All England semifinals, becoming the first Indian pair to do so.
A second year BBA student of Government Brennen College Thalassery, Treesa has her eyes set on a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Descending steep hills to rise to the top
Treesa's father Jolly Mathew initiated her into the world of badminton when she was only 6, thinking that the sport would keep her physically active. The young girl started showing glimpses of her innate talent right from the beginning, and the next year she secured silver at the U-11 state championship held in Thiruvananthapuram. As it was difficult for her to travel to Kannur, located about 45 kilometers away, for training on a daily basis, her father set up an indoor facility on the courtyard of their house in Cherupuzha. He was also Treesa's trainer during her formative years.
Treesa became the state senior champion at the age of 13 and secured a place in the Kerala team for the national championship. Anil Ramachandran, head of the Physical Education Department at Kannur University, was her trainer in the high school. In 2018, she got into the Indian junior team and emerged winner in the singles and doubles categories in the Bangladesh International Series held in Dhaka. She was also part of the Indian team which took part in the BWF World Junior Championships in Russia and the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in China.
Gayathri, the daughter of former All England champion Pullela Gopichand, has been Treesa's doubles partner ever since she started training at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad in 2020.
On a consistent run
In 2021, the Treesa-Gayatri pairing was ranked 433rd in the world. They made giant strides and finished 19th at the end of the following season. The duo is currently ranked 18th.
Treesa's rich vein of form in the past year has coincided with India's own purple patch as the team has won a slew of titles in this period. She began the year by finishing second at the Syed Modi International badminton tournament in Lucknow. In March, Treesa and Gayatri upset the previous year's Worlds silver medalists, Korean second seeds Lee Sohee and Shing Seungcha, to reach the semifinals of the All England Championships.
In August, she went on to clinch two medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. At the Odisha Open 2022 in Cuttack, Treesa and Gayatri stood first in the doubles category, while in mixed doubles, Treesa, partnering M R Arjun, secured silver. Treesa was also part of the Indian team which won bronze at the 2023 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship held in Dubai last month.
