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Indian Pair Treesa-Gayatri Reach BWF World Championship Semifinal

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Indian badminton players Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have reached the semifinal of the BWF World Championships. They play together as a doubles pair.

Because they made the semifinal, the pair is already guaranteed a bronze medal. However, they are still hoping to win the gold medal at the end of the tournament.

Gayatri Gopichand is the daughter of Pullela Gopichand, a well-known Indian badminton coach who has trained many top players. Her personal coach for this event is B Sumeeth Reddy.

Reddy has spoken about the pressure Gayatri faces because of her family name. He said that being Pullela Gopichand's daughter is a big baggage, meaning people expect very high results from her.

Despite this pressure, the young pair has performed well throughout the championship, reaching the final four teams in the world.

Alongside the badminton news, a World Athletics meet is also taking place in the city of Bhubaneswar. Athletics events include running, jumping and throwing competitions.

Both events were part of a wider update called 'Indian Sports LIVE' covering news from August 22. The update also mentioned other Indian sports happenings, including references to a hockey World Cup.

The badminton semifinal is an important moment for Indian sport, as reaching the final four of a World Championship is a strong achievement for any doubles pair.

Vocabulary10 words

badminton
a sport played by hitting a light object over a net
doubles
a team event with two players per side
guaranteed
certain to happen
baggage
a heavy pressure or difficulty carried from the past
athletics
sports such as running, jumping, and throwing
semifinal
the round before the final match
championship
a competition to find the best team or player
coach
a person who trains athletes or players
pressure
a strong feeling of needing to succeed
achievement
something done successfully, often with effort

Quiz

1. What has Treesa-Gayatri's semifinal finish guaranteed them?
2. According to coach B Sumeeth Reddy, what is difficult for Gayatri Gopichand?
3. Which other sporting event is mentioned as happening in Bhubaneswar?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

Indian badminton players Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have reached the _____ of the BWF World Championships.

Because they made the semifinal, the pair is already _____ a bronze medal.

However, they are still hoping to win the _____ medal at the end of the tournament.

Gayatri Gopichand is the daughter of Pullela Gopichand, a well-known Indian badminton _____.

Her personal coach for this event is B Sumeeth _____.

Reddy has spoken about the _____ Gayatri faces because of her family name.

He said that being Pullela Gopichand's daughter is a big _____.

A World _____ meet is also taking place in the city of Bhubaneswar.

Both events were part of a wider update called 'Indian Sports LIVE' covering news from August _____.

Reaching the final four of a World Championship is a strong _____ for any doubles pair.

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