All posts tagged: Badminton Asia Championships 2026

Ayush Shetty breaks into World top 20, climbs to career-high in BWF Rankings

Ayush Shetty breaks into World top 20, climbs to career-high in BWF Rankings

Published by Webster

Ayush Shetty entered the world top 20 for the first time, jumping up seven places to reach the career high ranking of 18 in the BWF men’s singles Ranking on Tuesday. Ayush had a historic silver medal-winning run last week at the Badminton Asia Championships in China, just falling short of the title to Shi Yuqi in the final. Shi has now returned as the world’s No. 1 men’s singles player, dethroning Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, who lost to Ayush Shetty in the semi-final last week. #News | Ayush Shetty climbs to a career high ranking🇮🇳🔥 Shetty gained 7 spots after his run into the final of the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships and is now ranked world No 18 in men’s singles😍👏 📸: Badminton Asia Championships#Badminton pic.twitter.com/82ESLmH5h5 — The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) April 14, 2026 The 20-year-old had just become the second Indian, after Dinesh Khanna, to reach the Badminton Asia Championships Singles final, ending a 61-year wait. India now has two male shuttlers in the World Top 20, as Lakshya Sen gained one position in …

Unlocking Ayush Shetty – The cognitive instinct, calmness behind 6’4″ giant’s rise

Unlocking Ayush Shetty – The cognitive instinct, calmness behind 6’4″ giant’s rise

Published by Webster

As Li Ning looked to capture the Indian badminton market share dominated by Yonex nearly a decade ago in 2017, the Chinese sports equipment manufacturer partnered with Baddyzone – an academy co-founded in 2015 by Mohit Kamat, former India No 2. With the funds which flowed in, Kamat set up a talent acquisition programme, particularly targeting kids at the under-15 and under-13 levels, with an aim to train them for a year or two and provide them with a launch pad. One of Kamat’s earliest recruits was Ayush Shetty – the now Asia Championships silver medallist and one of the fastest rising stars of Indian badminton. Shetty, having already dominated the local badminton circuit in his hometown of Sanoor, was looking for a step up. He was already an age-group Karnataka state champion but was way down the national ladder, ranked No 27. Shetty was into his final year in under-13 and there was nothing yet to concretely show he would turn into a world beater. His now-famed attacking game, which has proved to be …

Ayush Shetty wins silver at Badminton Asia Championships, ends 61-year wait

Ayush Shetty wins silver at Badminton Asia Championships, ends 61-year wait

Published by Webster

Ayush Shetty secured a silver medal at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026, finishing runner-up in the men’s singles event after losing to world champion Shi Yuqi in the final in Ningbo, China, on Sunday. The 20-year-old Indian, ranked world No. 25, went down 21-8, 21-10 in 42 minutes against the second-ranked Chinese shuttler. Despite the defeat, Shetty’s campaign marked a significant milestone, as he became the first Indian in 61 years to win a men’s singles silver at the continental championships. Dinesh Khanna remains the only Indian to have won gold in the event, achieving the feat in 1965. Shetty’s medal is also India’s first in men’s singles at the Asian Championships since HS Prannoy’s bronze in 2018. Shetty’s run to the final included a series of notable victories against higher-ranked opponents. He began by defeating world No. 7 Li Shi Feng and followed it up with a win over Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen. In the quarterfinals, Shetty overcame world No. 4 Jonatan Christie before producing a major upset in the semifinals against world …

PV Sindhu hails Ayush Shetty after historic Asia Championships final berth

PV Sindhu hails Ayush Shetty after historic Asia Championships final berth

Published by Webster

3 min readApr 11, 2026 05:07 PM IST Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu has praised up-and-coming star Ayush Shetty, who became only the second Indian ever to reach the men’s singles final at the continental event. On Saturday, building on his winning momentum, Ayush’s impressive campaign at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 continued as he handed a shock defeat to defending champion and World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn to reach the final. Sindhu called the Karnataka shuttler a generational talent. “I have consistently maintained that he is a generational talent. In terms of pure natural ability, he stands right up there with the very best young players I have come across. There is a prodigious level of talent in him, and it is something you immediately recognize when you see him on court,” she wrote on X. “He has been training in my group for the past three weeks along with coach Irwan, and this period has only reinforced my belief in his potential. Physically, he has a strong presence on court. His height gives …

Ayush Shetty wins silver at Badminton Asia Championships, ends 61-year wait

“Ayush Shetty is generational talent,” says PV Sindhu as he reaches Badminton Asia C’ships final

Published by Webster

India’s double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu heaped praise on Ayush Shetty as he stormed into the men’s singles final at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships, beating world No 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn on Saturday. “I have consistently maintained that he is a generational talent,” wrote Sindhu in a social media post. “In terms of pure natural ability, he stands right up there with the very best young players I have come across. “There is a prodigious level of talent in him, and it is something you immediately recognize when you see him on court,” she added. Shetty beat four higher-ranked players, dropping only a single game enroute to the final. He’ll now face either Chou Tien Chen or Shi Yu Qi in the what will the biggest match of his career on Sunday. I have consistently maintained that he is a generational talent. In terms of pure natural ability, he stands right up there with the very best young players I have come across. There is a prodigious level of talent in him, and it is …

Ayush Shetty stuns World no. 1 Vitidsarn to reach Badminton Asia Championships 2026 final

Ayush Shetty stuns World no. 1 Vitidsarn to reach Badminton Asia Championships 2026 final

Published by Webster

Ayush Shetty delivered a landmark performance to reach the men’s singles final of the Badminton Asia Championships 2026, defeating world No. 1 and defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a three-game semifinal on Saturday. The world No. 25 from India registered a comeback victory of 10-21, 21-19, 21-17 against the Thai star, who is also a Paris Olympics silver medallist and former world champion. With the result, Shetty has secured at least a silver medal and become only the second Indian to reach a men’s singles final at the Badminton Asia Championships. Before Shetty, India had reached the summit clash just twice in the tournament’s history: Dinesh Khanna, who won the men’s singles gold in 1965, and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who clinched the title in 2023. Shetty had entered the semifinal without dropping a game but faced a difficult start against Vitidsarn, who dominated the opening game with sharp attacking play and controlled rallies. The Indian struggled to match the pace early on, conceding the first game. The momentum shifted …

‘Sindhu has achieved outstanding success already, but continues to stay on court…truly admirable at this age’ – Chinese All England champ Wang Zhi Yi | Badminton News

‘Sindhu has achieved outstanding success already, but continues to stay on court…truly admirable at this age’ – Chinese All England champ Wang Zhi Yi | Badminton News

Published by Webster

2 min readApr 10, 2026 05:35 PM IST Chinese All England champ Wang Zhi Yi has stolen a 4-3 head to head lead over PV Sindhu after defeating her at the Badminton Asia Championships. But despite the 21-8 scoreline in the second set, Zhi Yi was quick to acknowledge the greatness of the Indian, who has been denying a bunch of to players World Championships medals since 2013. In a dozen years, Sindhu has beaten 2012 Olympic champion Li Xuerui, Wang Yihan, 2021 Olympic champ Chen Yufei multiple times at the World Championships as well as denying He Bingjiao the Tokyo Olympic medal. She extended her streak to 12 years when she beat World No 2 Zhi Yi last year at Copenhagen. And the World No 12 continues to keep going at the world stage, a fact acknowledged by her Chinese opponents. “Sindhu is a highly accomplished veteran. For a female athlete at her age still competing at this level is truly admirable. She has already achieved outstanding success. And won many major titles. Yet …

Ayush Shetty breaks 3-year medal drought with Badminton Asia semis berth

Ayush Shetty breaks 3-year medal drought with Badminton Asia semis berth

Published by Webster

Rising star Ayush Shetty stunned world no.4 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, reaching the semi-finals of Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, on Friday. The 20-year-old came from behind to win the opening game, before scripting a historic straight-set, 23-21, 21-17 win and confirming a medal for him on debut. This will be India’s first medal at the continental showdown in 3 years, since the title-winning run of the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in 2023. He also became the first Indian in 8 years to reach the semi-finals in the men’s singles, since H.S. Prannoy achieved the feat in 2018 and went on to win bronze. Massive Upset🚨🚨 Ayush Shetty defeats world no.4 Jonatan Christie to reach the men’s singles semi-finals at the #Badminton Asia Championships 🙌🏸 He also confirms a medal, the first in 8 years for India in men’s singles at the competition! pic.twitter.com/TUwBzUso10 — The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) April 10, 2026 He has not even conceded a single game yet, claiming all 3 straght-game wins en route to his …

Line call blunders in China strike Indian shuttlers: ‘It’s 2026 and I can’t believe Court 2 has no Hawkeye’

Line call blunders in China strike Indian shuttlers: ‘It’s 2026 and I can’t believe Court 2 has no Hawkeye’

Published by Webster

3 min readApr 9, 2026 03:46 PM IST “There’s nothing you can do about it,” coach Sagar Chopda at the Bangalore Centre of Excellence where Ayush Shetty and PV Sindhu train, says, with gnashing teeth. The first three days of the Badminton Asia Championships at Ningbo have been terribly frustrating for Indians, with blithering line calls on several courts inflecting crucial points. On Thursday, HS Prannoy suffered twice in the second set. And though Weng Hong Yang might still have won, the Indian’s propensity to come back in the second set and launch fightbacks from there can’t be ignored.v “It’s 2026 and I still can’t believe there is no Hawkeye’ in court 2 for a Super 1000 event,” Prannoy tweeted. The continental championships where Prannoy has a bronze previously, are a prestigious event, but the Asian events typically end up being amateurish. For one, forget broadcast, even a live stream is hard to find. And for another, event Court 2 with Chinese Weng Hong Yang playing did not have a decision review system or Hawkeye …

Ayush Shetty makes Asian quarterfinals with 21-16, 21-12 win

Ayush Shetty makes Asian quarterfinals with 21-16, 21-12 win

Published by Webster

4 min readApr 9, 2026 01:03 PM IST The 6-foot-4 vantage builds immense tales of the attacking potential that Ayush Shetty possesses. He can strike down unretrievable smashes, and the cross court inside out variety were fearsome. Chi Yu Jen is a 28-year-old Taiwanese who believes in speed overcoming most challenges in dictating rallies. But what the World No 20 did not reckon for were smashes that he would reach, but his racquet wouldn’t be able to parry. And to think that wasn’t even where Ayush Shetty got to him, in the 21-16, 21-12 loss. That was the cheeky flicks and needle pricks and bee stings he created at the net. Making the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asian Championship, Ayush made Round 2 look very easy, though he had brought down Li Shifeng with equal haste. But if the expansive back court smashes loomed for the Chinese, the net – Ayush’s original core skill, got the job done against the Taiwanese. Should the incoming 15-point system strike badminton, Ayush’s opponents will be left guessing if …