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Ayush Shetty's Silver Lining: Historic Run at Badminton Asia Championships

Ayush Shetty's remarkable journey at the Badminton Asia Championships ended with a silver medal after a straight-games loss to China's Shi Yu Qi in the final. The 20-year-old Indian created history by becoming the first men's singles finalist from India since 1965, following a stunning semifinal victory over world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn. His campaign was marked by giant-killing upsets over top seeds, including the reigning Asian Games champion. In the women's event, An Se-young completed a career sweep of major titles by winning the Asian Championships.

Key Points: Ayush Shetty Wins Silver at Badminton Asia Championships

  • Silver medal in men's singles final
  • Upset world No. 1 in semifinals
  • First Indian finalist since 1965
  • Beat reigning Asian Games champion
  • Sensational giant-killing run
2 min read

Badminton Asia Championships: Ayush Shetty loses to Shi Yu, wraps up sensational campaign with silver medal

Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty clinches a historic silver medal at the Badminton Asia Championships, defeating top seeds in a sensational campaign.

"Ayush became the first Indian men's singles player since HS Prannoy in 2018 to earn a podium finish. - Report"

Ningbo, April 12

Shuttler Ayush Shetty's incredible run at the Badminton Asia Championships culminated in a runners-up finish after the Indian fell in straight games to second-seeded Shi Yu Qi of China in the men's singles summit clash here on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Indian, ranked 25th in the world rankings, suffered an 8-21, 10-21 loss against the reigning world champion Yu Qi in the final here at the Ningbo Olympic Center. With his silver medal finish, Ayush became the first Indian men's singles player since HS Prannoy in 2018 to earn a podium finish at the continental championship.

Ayush's win over defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the semifinal made him just the second Indian men's singles player, and third overall, to enter the Badminton Asia Championships final. A win in the final would have seen him emulate Dinesh Khanna, who became men's singles champion in 1965.

Hailing from the small town of Sanoor near Karkala in Karnataka, the 2025 US Open champion Ayush had a fairytale campaign, as he had registered major upsets in the tournamnet enroute to the final.

His giant-killing spree began in the opening round, where he stunned world No. 7 and reigning Asian Games champion Li Shi Feng of China. He followed it up with a composed win over Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu Jen, ranked 20th, to book a quarter-final berth, where he delivered another statement performance by toppling Olympian and world No. 4 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia before knocking out world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semifinal.

In the women's singles final, Korean star An Se-young defeated Wang Zhiyi 21-12, 17-12, 21-18 to win that one trophy she had yet to win among the major championships.

An, 24, Se Young became the first female singles player to cap a career sweep of badminton's majors - the Olympic Games, world championships, World Tour Finals, All England Open, Asian Games and now the Asian Championships.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
So proud of him! Coming from a small town like Sanoor and taking on the world's best. This is the real "Make in India" story we need to celebrate. His journey will inspire so many kids in small towns to pick up a racket. 🏸
V
Vikram M
A respectful note: while the campaign was sensational, the final scoreline (8-21, 10-21) shows there's still a gap in consistency at the very top level against players like Shi Yu Qi. Hope he works on his mental game for big finals. The talent is undeniable.
S
Sarah B
Watching from the US, this was incredible! He beat the reigning Asian Games champ, an Olympian, and the world number one. That's a champion's path. The final was a step too far this time, but mark my words, this young man will be world champion soon.
R
Rohit P
First Indian men's singles finalist since Dinesh Khanna in 1965! That's a 60-year wait. Bahut badhiya beta! The entire country is celebrating you. Don't be disheartened by the final loss. You've already achieved something historic.
K
Kavya N
The article also mentions An Se-young's career sweep. What an incredible athlete she is! It puts Ayush's achievement in perspective – he was competing in that elite company. To reach the final in such a strong continental championship is a huge deal. Well done!

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