Badminton Asia Championships 2025
Badminton Asia Championships 2026: Ayush Shetty wins silver after final defeat
(Courtesy : Badminton Asia Championships)
Shetty became the first Indian finalist in 61 years.
Ayush Shetty had the whole of India watching in Ningbo, and the reasons have been quite obvious, given what the 20-year-old from Karnataka has genuinely delivered throughout the week at Badminton Asia Championships 2026.
But the final was always going to be the hardest test of his young career and Shi Yuqi made sure it was exactly that.
The World No. 2 had too much experience and too much quality today as he won 21-8, 21-10 in just over 40 minutes to claim the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 title.
Shi Yuqi has won the BWF World Championships before and has been one of the most consistent players on the circuit for several years now.
Also Read: Ayush Shetty vs Shi Yuqi Highlights, Badminton Asia Championships 2026
He had Shetty in trouble almost immediately in Game 1 as he made Indian make four unforced errors in the opening exchanges to take a 4-0 lead.
The Chinese figured out Shetty’s pattern before the interval and then ended the game 1 21-8 in under 20 minutes, which was a fairly ruthless statement of intent from the 30-year-old.
Game 2 had given India some hope as Shetty raced to a 7-2 lead with some powerful smashing and quick movement around the court. This made Shi Yuqi look momentarily unsettled, but the Chinese star found urgent solutions and won six consecutive points to bring him back level, and once he had moved to 16-9, the match had effectively been decided.
Shetty eventually lost the second game 21-10, and the final ended as a comprehensive victory for the world No. 2.
Ayush Shetty’s historic week that India will not forget
The final result, though, has to be seen in the context of what Shetty had produced in the rounds before it.
He defeated Li Shi Feng of China, ranked world No. 7, in the first round. He then defeated Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, the world No. 4, in the quarter-finals. His semi-final win over Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, the world No. 1 and defending champion, had come after losing the first game and required a genuine comeback to complete.
No Indian man had reached the Badminton Asia Championships final since Dinesh Khanna in 1965. Shetty has now claimed a silver medal, which is only the eighth medal India has ever had in men’s singles at these championships.
Who won the men’s singles final at Badminton Asia Championships 2026?
Shi Yu Qi defeated Ayush Shetty 21-8, 21-10 in just over 40 minutes to clinch the title.
Who was the last Indian to win a medal in men’s singles at Badminton Asia Championships?
HS Prannoy was the last Indian men’s singles shuttler to win a medal in the tournament. He had clinched bronze in the 2018 edition.
Has any Indian won the men’s singles title at Badminton Asia Championships?
Yes, the only Indian to win the men’s singles title in the competition is Dinesh Khanna, who achieved the feat in 1965.
Ajay Gandhar has been part of Khel Now since 2023 and has expertise across a wide range of Olympic sports. While his coverage spans the Olympic spectrum, he is passionate about Badminton, Tennis, Football, and Track and Field. Beyond his primary focus areas, Ajay is also an avid kabaddi enthusiast and closely follows the sport.